Pleakley's Story II
by Twilit Violet
Summary: Pleakley's father returns after abandoning a pregnant Vay thirty years earlier. Leera is pregnant now, and Pleakley resolves to be the world's best dad, something his own father never was.
1. Weekends

A/N: Well, here it is: the highly-anticipated sequel to "_Pleakley's Story_." SMYZZYX!!! Pleakley's father returns after abandoning a pregnant Vay thirty years earlier. Leera is pregnant now, and Pleakley resolves to be the world's best dad, something his own father never was. But as the birth of their child approaches, domestic turmoil threatens the ohana, and as if poor Pleakley doesn't have enough to deal with already, an old enemy resurfaces… an enemy presumed dead and defeated… Enjoy and please R&R!

CHAPTER ONE:  
WEEKENDS

It was a Saturday. The second sun was just rising over the eastern hemisphere of Iyerba when Vay Pleakley and her twin brother Gidgel started to work on tuning up the 12047-XM vintage police cruiser. Gidgel had been a mechanic for the Federation's military fleet for nearly thirty years, and now and then he would bring home a small ship or cruiser as a trade-in and make repairs and renovations to it. Vay often joined him in his hobby, especially when he brought his current project over to her house to work on. This he did whenever his own garage and front yard were not sufficient workspace. As they were usually occupied by the hollowed-out hull and debris of another 'project,' Gidgel tinkered over at his sister's house more often than not.

This particular weekend had the feel of any other weekend, but there was something slightly off about it. Vay sensed this the moment she stepped outside to greet her brother.

"Well have a look at this baby!" Gidgel shouted happily as he towed the old cruiser up the driveway.

"Is that what I think it is?" Vay asked as he climbed out of his ship.

"If you think it's a twelve-o-four-seven XedMod, you're right. I didn't think there was one of these babies left in the entire galaxy, but Chuzer pulled me aside the other day and showed her to me. Been keeping it in the Area Nine storage. Pretty tight security down there. This beauty probably hasn't seen the light of day in over fifty years!"

Vay gasped in amazement as she admired the vintage vehicle.

"And Chuzer actually let you have it?" she asked incredulously. Gidgel nodded and started limping around the cruiser. Vay followed, looking it over.

"Myep. At a price, of course. Traded in my sixty-seven VL-three for it."

"You traded in your Turian high flitter? Gidgel, I don't believe you!"

Gidgel stopped and shrugged. "Hey, we all gotta make sacrifices sometimes. When it came down to choosing between the two of 'em, I'd a taken this here XedMod in a heartbeat."

"And do you think it's really worth it?" Vay asked, "Trading it in for _this_?" She gestured toward the caved-in driver side door and the laser-made gashes in the hood, among other damages. "I'd hate to think you lost your VL-three for a cruiser that looks like it drove its owner into a death match up on Errgo Four. And lost. I wouldn't doubt it if he or she died right there in the driver seat."

"Oh puh-leaze, Vay, you make it sound a lot worse than it looks. I'll have you know I got the history on this baby from the owner himself, and it was a game of zero-G roulette that did her in, not a death match on Errgo Four."

Vay snorted and rolled her eye. "I just hope for your sake it was worth the trade-in."

"Oh, it will be," Gidgel affirmed, limping over to unhook the cruiser from his wrecker. "Once we get it fixed up a bit."

"What do you mean 'we?'" Vay asked coolly.

Gidgel looked at his sister in disbelief. "I usually have to beg you to get off my back when I'm working on a cruiser! Since when did you decide not to get involved?"

"When you decided this hunk of junk was worth more than the old flitter. I liked that old VL-three."

"So did I, until I found out the bluebook value of this XedMod was three times what that old flitter was worth brand new! And all she needs is a fresh coat of paint and an overhaul."

"Just like a certain brother of mine," Vay mumbled, opening up a toolbox.

Gidgel picked a tool out of it and looked at her suspiciously. "What was that?"

"Oh, nothing," Vay said simply, turning toward the cruiser.

"Didn't sound like nothing," Gidgel muttered, following her to the front of the vehicle where she forced the hood up and peered inside. "If you weren't a woman, or my sister, I'd slug you for that."

"And if you weren't a cripple and a crybaby, I'd slug you just because."

"You never let that stop you before," Gidgel argued. "What's stopping you now?"

"My hands are full." Vay held a flashlight in one hand while holding the hood up with the other. "From what I can see here, you're going to have to rewire the entire ignition system. That's not cheap, you know. That and the overhaul are gonna cost you a couple weeks' wages at least. Not to mention all the hours of labor involved."

"You make it sound like childbirth," Gidgel chuckled.

Vay pulled her head out from under the hood and looked him straight in the eye.

"Childbirth is no laughing matter," she told him, quite frankly, "and neither is this. Look."

Gidgel obeyed, propping the hood up further and following the beam of the flashlight with his eye. " 'S not so bad," he said. "With the both of us working on it, and some of the parts I got in last month, we can fix this baby up in half the time, and at half the cost."

Vay cast him a sideways glance. "Did I just hear 'we' again? It's the darnedest thing, but somewhere along the line one of us must've gone schizo, 'cuz either I'm hearing things or you're under the delusion that I'm going to help you with this."

Gidgel set the hood down and turned to his sister with a look of exasperation on his face. "Aren't you?" he asked.

"Normally I love to spend my weekends getting greased up grunting underneath totaled cruisers, but I'm taking off this next weekend. Remember? I'm going to Earth to help Wendy and Leera with the baby."

"Oh, that's right!" Gidgel slapped his forehead. "How could I have forgotten? Damn. When's the baby due again?"

"Forgot that, too? Jeez, Gidge, what's with you? Spring another brain leak? On the eighteenth. In about three and a half weeks."

"That's it? Blitznak, and I was thinking she had another month and a half to go. I guess I've been so busy with the councilwoman's new ship that time just flew past me without even a nod."

Gidgel sighed and closed his toolbox, then hobbled over to a tree on the front lawn and sat down under it. Vay joined him.

"Where does the time go?" he asked, sighing again. The shadows of the tree's leaves fell criss-crossed over his face, making him look suddenly older. Though he was in reality just beginning to show his age, he was still very good-looking, by Plorginarian standards, as was his twin sister Vay. The only thing that daunted his appearance was a scarred and misshapen leg. Gidgel had been crippled in a freak accident nearly twenty years earlier. Though that one leg was pretty much dead weight, he managed to get around pretty well without aid.

"Seems like only yesterday we were waiting for Wendy to be born," he went on. "And then _you_ had to go on that crazy mission that could have gotten you both killed and give birth to him on a tiny backwater planet in the middle of nowhere."

"Yyyyup," Vay answered wryly, "and now _his_ kid's gonna be born on that same planet."

"What?" Gidgel looked at her in shock. "I thought they were coming back to Iyerba to have the baby!"

"That's what I thought, too, but Leera insists on staying on Earth. She doesn't even want to leave the island until after the baby's born."

"But why in Bluzark does she want to have it there?"

Vay shrugged, leaning back against the tree. She picked up the mini-scope she had been using to diagnose the cruiser's ignition trouble and started playing with the dials. She stared at the analysis readouts on the tiny screen with an unseeing eye.

"I think she's afraid," she said, in a voice barely above a whisper.

Gidgel looked at her curiously. "Leera? Afraid? Of what?"

"I don't know. It just seems like the obvious answer."

"Now where'd you get an idea like that? Leera, of all people, afraid. That's a joke."

"I don't think so," Vay replied. "Something about her seems… troubled, lately. She's all bright and happy whenever I talk to her, but when the subject of the birth comes up she gets tense and - it's hard to explain, but trust me, she's worried about something, and it's not the normal anxiety about giving birth."

"Well, a strong, courageous woman like Leera… I just can't imagine her being scared of something," Gidgel said. "Are you really so sure about that? And what do you think it could be?"

Vay thought for a moment. "Yes, and I don't know. Maybe she _is _just worried about giving birth. I know I was. Maybe she's afraid of having it prematurely like I did with Wendy."

Gidgel sat up straight and looked at Vay. "Well, in that case she should come back here! If she has the same problem you did with Wendy, then that baby's at risk being born in a place like that."

Vay snorted. "Not really. She's in a lot better circumstances than I was. Remember? I was in the middle of a desert and being pursued by hostile aliens when I had Wendy, but Leera's in a tropical paradise, and among caring individuals who will be there to help her when the time comes. I'm going to be there, too, of course. And most importantly, Wendy will be there." She chuckled to herself. "Leera complains that he never gives her a moment alone these days. Says _he's_ more worried about the baby than _she_ is. Says she can't even roll over at night without him waking up and panicking that it's time." Vay sighed dreamily. "He's going to make a wonderful father."

Gidgel grunted in agreement. "Yep. That boy turned out pretty good, in spite of the fact that he never had a father figure himself."

Vay glanced sideways at her brother. "He had _you_, Gidge. I don't think he could have asked for a better father figure. It's only a shame you never had any kids yourself."

Gidgel sighed. "Yeah, but I'm just his uncle. It really wasn't my place to play the fatherly role."

Vay frowned. "Are you saying you wouldn't have had a hand in his upbringing if he _did_ have a father?"

"Of course I would have! I would still have been there for the both of you, but that's not the point. The point is, a kid needs a father. I'm just glad that Wendy sees it that way, too, in spite of what his own father thought."

Vay growled. "Wendy didn't _need_ a father, especially not one like Kirk. I did a good enough job raising him myself."

"So did I! I helped, too," Gidgel said. "Did you forget about me already?" he joked.

"Oh, sorry," Vay said, watching a bright blue cruiser pulling up to the house next door. "I got distracted thinking about that jerk."

"Who? Kirk?"

Vay nodded. "Kirk the Jerk."

Gidgel snorted and started to say something smart, but one look at his sister's face shut him up. Vay looked like she had just seen a ghost. Gidgel followed her gaze to where the blue cruiser was parked, and the man who had just gotten out of it. He looked familiar.

Vay paled as the mysterious man approached the driveway. "Speak of the devil…"


	2. Speaking of the Devil

CHAPTER TWO:  
SPEAKING OF THE DEVIL

Vay could not believe her eye. Halfway up the driveway, the man stopped. He wore a federal agent's uniform, complete with the gauche epaulets that clashed with his Plorginarian skin tone, and a very cautious look on his face. He glanced nervously at Gidgel before locking eyes with Vay. There was a long moment of very uncomfortable silence, then the man cleared his throat, more out of nerves than anything, and spoke.

"Vay?"

Vay just stared at him, unblinking. After another long moment of silence, she replied. "Kirk?"

The man nodded, almost imperceptibly, and before Vay could even get to her feet, Gidgel jumped up, sprinted across the yard, and slugged the man in the mouth. The man flew backwards from the blow and hit the ground. Gidgel grabbed a wrench out of his toolbox and advanced on him.

"Gidge, NO!" Vay screamed. In a flash, she was at his side trying to pry the wrench from his hand. "No, Gidge, don't_! I'll _handle this."

Gidgel backed down, allowing her to take the wrench from him. Vay flung the tool aside, then threw herself on Kirk. She pulled him up off the ground, and in one incredibly smooth and fluid move, punched him in the face, whirled around and kicked him with all three of her feet, and then grabbed him by the arm and body-slammed him.

When she was done, she walked back over to Gidgel, who looked at her with a mixture of awe and fear.

"You handled that well," he said meekly. "Too well. I think you killed him."

"I used some restraint," she said coolly, brushing her long brown hair out of her face. "He'll be fine, the bastard."

Brother and sister watched passively as the man called Kirk climbed dizzily to his feet. His hand flew up to his face, where a trickle of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth and a patch of flesh beneath his eye was beginning to darken and swell. He staggered, then swung around to face his attackers.

"Yeah, I knew it was you," he said, forcing a smile. He touched his swollen lip, then looked at the blood on his fingers. "This just confirms it."

He took a couple of awkward steps forward and Gidgel met him halfway. Vay stepped forward, too, in order to restrain him, but there was no need. Gidgel restrained himself as he growled, "What the hell are _you_ doing back?"

Kirk saw his clenched fists and winced. "I - wanted to talk to Vay."

Gidgel drew a fist back as if to strike him again, but Vay barred its path and told him not to bother. Gidgel backed away, grumbling, "Don't think 'cuz I'm a cripple now I can't still kick your sorry patooki from here to Turo and back."

Kirk looked at Vay and smiled weakly. "Hello, Vay. It's good to see you again."

"I beg to differ," Vay replied, before punching him in the stomach. Kirk bent over double and gasped for breath, then righted himself quickly, fully expecting another attack, but Vay just stood serenely.

"I deserved that," he wheezed, forcing another smile.

"Ooh, clever!" Gidgel retorted. "You figure that out all by yourself? Wow. And this, coming from a guy who refused to believe that egg plus sperm equals baby!"

Vay shot her brother a smoldering glare before looking Kirk in the eye.

"What are you doing here, Kirk?" she asked, out of mere curiosity.

"I - I just wanted to see you again," he said helplessly.

"What kind of excuse is that?" she demanded. "What? You think you can just screw around with me and my feelings and leave, and then waltz back into my life like nothing happened?"

"People make mistakes, Vay. Everyone makes mistakes. We both made a big mistake, and now it's -"

"That mistake, as you call it, is our son. _My_ son. Only mine. You're not his father. You didn't stick around long enough to become a father to him. No. All you did was contribute the genetic material needed to conceive him."

At this, Kirk sighed despairingly. Unable to look Vay in the eye another second, he cast his own eye to the ground. After a few attempts, he found his voice again.

"I know nothing I say can change what's been done, or the way you feel about me. I can't set things right, but I can try, damn it. I can try."

Vay looked at him in surprise. Was it her imagination, or had his voice cracked on those last words? Was he really as upset as she was?

"Well, you can try all you want, but I'm not about to forgive you. I am, however, going to be the better person and allow you to plead your case. You can come inside if you want, and we can talk." Kirk and Gidgel both looked at her in surprise, and she smirked, trying to hide a chuckle. "I know, I really should be bashing your frigging brains out all over the driveway, but I'm in a generous mood. Hmm, maybe that's because I'm about to become a grandmother, and you know that good grandmothers don't go bashing people's brains out, no matter how much they deserve it."

It took a moment for her words to sink in. Kirk's eye grew wide and he gaped.

"G-grandmother? You mean our son is -"

"MY son is married now and his wife is expecting a baby. Yes. That's right."

Kirk just stared at her, shocked. Vay sighed exasperatedly and rolled her eye.

"C'mon inside. We've got a lot to talk about."


	3. Kirk the Jerk

CHAPTER THREE:  
KIRK THE JERK

"I gotta admit I did a pretty good job of forgetting about you all these years, but then when things are just starting to go smoothly again you pop up outta nowhere like a hemorrhoid, irritating and right on my ass. But seriously, why did you choose now of all times to come back?" Vay asked her ex-boyfriend over tea.

"Well, I didn't exactly choose to come back. I was compelled to," he added, sensing Gidgel's disapproval. Kirk sat at the kitchen table, across from Vay, while Gidgel sat adjacent, slightly closer to Kirk than to his sister. _Just within arm's reach,_ Kirk had noted uncomfortably.

"I've spent the last fifteen years in the Beta Quadrant of the Neverun Galaxy. I've got a place out there, along with a post at a Federation embassy on Eiros Sans. It's been a quiet, uneventful life out there, up until the whole Kaizaxx uprising. I got caught up in the war, flew a few missions, never managed to kill any Kaizaxx or earn a medal. I was wounded in battle, too! Well, not really. Shrapnel in the patooki from an explosive you accidentally trigger yourself doesn't earn you a Purple Heart, apparently. And to think I risked my life for the Federation," Kirk snorted before taking a sip of tea.

Vay snorted, too. "Sounds like you were in more danger from yourself than from anything the Kaizaxx threw your way."

Gidgel also snorted. "You're in more danger in this house than you ever were in that frigging war."

Vay ignored his remark. Taking cues from her, Kirk did, too.

"As I was saying… I was content, had a lady friend, no kids, by the way (I always made doubly sure not to make the same mistake again!) and life was good. Until I heard the news about the Kaizaxx finally being defeated. Well of course I couldn't avoid hearing about it. I was up at the embassy when it happened. The celebrations must have lasted a whole week. And then I heard who was responsible for it all: Agent Vay Pleakley, and her son… Wendy." Something in Kirk's proud words faltered then, and for a second, Vay thought she saw his lip tremble. "And then I saw it. The award ceremony. The live broadcast of you and him receiving the Supernova. And I was just — wow."

Kirk took a moment of respectful silence to sip his tea.

"I'd heard about the boy, some of the work he'd done for the Federation, but I had absolutely no idea that he - the two of you - had done something like that. I mean, bringing down the Kaizaxx! Wow. Just - wow. And when I saw the award ceremony, and I saw Wendy for the first time, I just about broke down and cried. I couldn't help it. I kept thinking 'that's my son. _My son_.'"

Gidgel growled a little and Kirk stiffened. He looked at Vay, fully expecting her to correct him on his status as Wendy's sire. But to his surprise, she didn't. She simply nodded her head and took a long sip of tea. He went on.

"For the past five months I've been struggling with myself, trying to decide whether or not I should make contact with you. I wouldn't even be here today if I hadn't seen that award ceremony, and the two of you on it. That's what compelled me to seek you out. By the way, who was that other woman who got a Supernova? That gorgeous blonde?" Kirk asked with ill-concealed interest.

"That was Captain Leera Analilia of the Federation's Elite Fleet," Vay said stiffly, "and my daughter-in-law."

"Oh." Kirk blushed, then blurted out, "Wendy married her? When did that happen?"

"Day after the award ceremony. Couple weeks later she was pregnant."

Kirk grinned impishly. "Sounds like someone didn't waste any time."

Vay scowled at him. "Wendy's nothing like _you_, Kirk. He happens to love Leera very much, and he's very excited about becoming a father."

"So obviously he didn't take after _you_," Gidgel added angrily. "Lord knows if he had, that poor girl would be just as bad off as Vay was when you dumped her. Remember that?"

"Gidgel -" Vay started, but was overridden by her brother's rising anger.

"Yeah, life's all fun and games when you're banging some hot babe, but then you have a little 'accident' and she tells you she's pregnant, and all you think is 'Woops! Time to play a different game!' and you disappear for thirty years! You got a lot of nerve coming back here after that. I'm just surprised that Vay hasn't done what she said she would do to you if you ever came back."

"And what's that?" Kirk asked timidly.

Vay volunteered her answer. "Oh, I just vowed to myself that if I ever saw your face again, I'd gut you and strangle you with your own intestines, pull your lungs out through your nose, bite your head off, chew it up, and spit it back down your throat."

Kirk paled at this statement.

"Of course, I was in labor at the time, but afterward I put it on my To Do list."

"And Vay's no procrastinator," Gidgel mumbled threateningly. "You'll be lucky if she gives you a running start."

"But now that you're here, and things have been going so well lately, I guess I really ought to thank you," Vay said, taking both her brother and her ex by surprise.

"For knocking you up?" Gidgel asked incredulously.

"For giving me such a wonderful gift: my son." Vay got up from her seat and walked around the table to Kirk. "This is for Wendy," she purred, before wrapping her arms around him and kissing him deeply. When she pulled back, Kirk was flushed and staring at her in shock. "And this is for ten hours of labor and having to raise a child all by myself!" she said a microsecond before planting a steel-toed boot into his groin.

Kirk fell off his chair and lay whimpering on the kitchen floor, curled in a fetal position.

"There's a ray gun on my belt," he groaned. "Just take it and do me in now."

Vay smiled down at him, shaking her head. "No, thanks. I think I've got it all out of my system now." After a minute she decided to help him up. "I'm feeling generous, so I'll let you live," she told him, setting him back up on his chair, "but screw around with me or my family again and I'm mounting your sorry ass up in my living room."

"Is that a threat or an invitation?" Kirk asked seductively, the threw his arms up to shield himself from another blow.

"Bastard hasn't changed much in the last thirty years, has he? I'd gut him right now and have done with it," Gidgel muttered. Vay just chuckled.

"No. I think I'm going to have a lot more fun dragging it out. If anyone's getting screwed now, it's Kirk. And this time he's _not_ gonna enjoy it."

"What are you talking about?" Kirk demanded.

"Well, I assume I'm not the only one you came to see after all these years. So, if you want to see your 'offspring,' and if you wanna stick around long enough to see _his_, then I suggest you start doing some serious ass-kissing. Hey - and keep it outta the gutter," Vay warned him with an evil grin.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Wowowow! It feels great to be back! Have I snagged anyone's interest yet? Hope so. Especially those of you who enjoyed the first "_Pleakley's Story_." Of course, if you haven't read it, then you probably shouldn't be reading this one. A lot won't make sense. I will go on record right now to clarify a couple of things. Yes, I mentioned that Vay had a brother in the first story. In chapter thirty, "Absolute Zero," to be exact. In it Pleakley mentions an 'Uncle Gidgel,' who was crippled in two legs as a result of a freak accident. In this story I changed it to one leg. I have no idea why I chose two legs in the first story. I need to go back and correct that part. It wouldn't make sense for Gidgel to be crippled in _two_ legs and then not need any help getting around, would it? Also, his name is pronounced "GIH-jel" ( "I" as in "kid"), for those of you who might not be sure. If anyone spots any other inconsistencies, or is confused about anything, please let me know in reviews and I will make sure to clear things up in the next possible post.

And yes, it's been at least five months since the end of the first story, and the wedding of Wendy and Leera. I gave Plorginarians a shorter gestation period than humans (about five months, and she's only four months along right now). Also, in reference to Wendy's birth in chapter one - for those of you who have been reading "_The Viewmaster_," a stalled L&S fic of mine, I think you all knew where it was going. For those of you who don't… don't read any further if you don't like spoilers for "_The Viewmaster_," but go ahead and read on if you don't care. Have a nice day and please, read and review!

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Vay is an Earth expert, too. She went on her first mission to Earth when she was pregnant with Wendy. They landed in Roswell in 1973, and hostile humans captured her. She went into labor prematurely and gave birth in the middle of the desert while trying to escape the humans. I hope this doesn't spoil anything for anyone, but again, you were warned not to read any further!


	4. Aloha, Ohana

A/N: And we're back! Sorry it's taken so long to update. I was temporarily banned from posting because someone reported to FFN that one of my other L&S fics_, In a Family Way_, had "improper grammar, punctuation and spelling," which is a load of BS, since nearly half the stories I've read around here match that description. Anyway, the story got removed and I got 86ed for a while. Hopefully it won't happen again. If it does, I'm going to post my fics on a friend's website, and I will give out the link to it upon request.

CHAPTER FOUR:  
ALOHA, OHANA

"Lilo! Come on! You're going to miss your bus!" Nani shouted up the elevator shaft that morning.

"Be right down!" came Lilo's reply. Nani sighed and started to walk away when Lilo and Stitch descended from their room. As soon as the elevator touched down, Lilo ran toward the kitchen. "Almost ready! First I gotta go make Pudge his sandwich."

"Oh, no, Lilo. Not that fish again!" Nani groaned. "Just forget it. You're going to end up late and Leera's going to end up taking you to school."

"That's okay," Lilo replied, pulling a chair up to the counter to reach the bread. "I'd rather go with Leera than on the bus with Myrtle Edmonds and her cronies."

"But did you ever think to ask Leera how she feels about driving you?"

"I think she likes it."

"Well, maybe she does, or maybe she's just going out of her way to be nice. Frankly I'm surprised she can still fit behind the wheel, as big as she's gotten."

"Actually, I just moved the seat back a little."

Nani spun around to find Leera standing behind her. She blushed and Leera smiled.

"I really don't mind taking Lilo to school. It gives me a chance to get out of the house. Plus it's rather exhilarating to drive a dune buggy."

"Well, as long as it's no inconvenience, I guess Lilo can miss her bus again," Nani said.

"Here, Lilo. I already made you a sandwich to take to your fish friend." Leera handed Lilo a small paper bag.

"Thanks!"

"You're welcome. All ready for school?"

"Yeah. Can we take the scenic route this time?"

"Which one?"

"The one that goes past the cemetery and the yard with that really freaky-looking dog in it that looks just like its owner and the beach where you can see the island Yin and Yang made."

"Sure, we can do that," Leera replied, smiling down at the girl. "Just remind me where those potholes in the road are located. I think it gave the baby a nasty jolt when we went over them last time."

"Okay. C'mon, let's go!" Lilo slung her backpack over her shoulder and ran for the front door with Stitch at her heels. Even though he could not go to school with her, he liked to accompany Lilo and Leera in the dune buggy.

Out in the driveway, Lilo and Stitch were already buckled in and waiting by the time Leera caught up with them. She climbed into the driver's seat and stretched the seatbelt over her belly. Then she put the key in the ignition and turned it.

"Hold it! Hold everything!"

Leera, Lilo and Stitch looked around simultaneously to see Pleakley running down the porch steps toward the dune buggy.

"Leera! What do you think you're doing? I thought we agreed, no more driving Earth vehicles until after the baby's born!"

Leera sighed and took the key out of the ignition. "Fine. We'll take the cruiser, then." She unbuckled herself and opened the door. Pleakley put a hand against it as if to stop her from getting out.

"Oh, no. No driving, period!"

"That's not what I agreed on, Wendy. Technically, I didn't even agree to stop driving Earth vehicles, much less a space cruiser. I only said I'd be more careful."

"Well, this old jalopy here is the last thing you ought to be driving in your condition! Don't you know that bumpy buggy rides have been known to induce labor?"

"So I've heard, but don't worry. We're taking the scenic route. Smooth sailing all the way," Leera assured her husband before buckling herself in again.

"Not the same scenic route with all those potholes down on Cunha Road, I hope?"

Leera's hand twitched over the stick shift. "Mmmmaybe…"

Pleakley sighed and shook his head.

"Awww, c'mon, Wendy. It's just a ten minute drive either way, and I need to get out of the house. You're not going to begrudge your own wife a little freedom, are you?" Leera made a pouty face and batted her eye.

Pleakley sighed again. "No, of course not. Just be careful, okay? And don't take that shortcut over the sand spit. I don't want you coming home and throwing up on the kitchen floor like you did last time."

"I won't," Leera promised, and Lilo grumbled disappointedly.

Pleakley reached in and patted Leera's belly. "You be good, now, you hear?" he said to their unborn child. "You behave, and don't give your mother a hard time. She may be a bit reckless, but don't kick her unless it's really important. Okay?" He stuck his head through the window to kiss his wife's abdomen. Then he lifted his head to kiss her cheek.

Stitch made a small sound of disgust and Lilo echoed it. "If we can't take the shortcut, I'm gonna be late for school," she grumbled, just loud enough for the couple to hear.

"Oh! She's right!" Leera gasped. "Look at the time! See ya later, honey!" The buggy roared to life and backed out of the driveway. Pleakley waved goodbye, then climbed the steps to watch the vehicle's progress from the porch. He kept his eye on the buggy and its occupants until they disappeared down the road.

A half hour later Leera returned home looking a little flushed. The instant she walked through the front door she was greeted by her husband.

"Hey, honey. I fixed you some tea. Are you okay? You look nauseated."

Leera forced a smile. "I'm fine. The baby's fine, too. I think it was that breakfast Nani made. It didn't sit too well with either of us."

Pleakley's antenna drooped. "_I _made breakfast this morning."

Leera blushed. "Sorry, honey. But I just —" Her next words were cut off as her hand flew up to cover her mouth. She ran past him and into the bathroom. She didn't even have time to close the door. Pleakley walked straight in behind her, cringing at every gut-wrenching sound she made. He closed his eye tight to avoid seeing the breakfast he'd made return to haunt him. Then he knelt beside his wife and gathered her long golden hair up, holding it back while she hung her head over the toilet.

A minute later, Jumba walked by. What he saw out of the corner his leftmost eye made him stop and back up.

"Am guessing Pleakley made breakfast this morning."

Pleakley glared at him. Leera wretched hoarsely, but nothing more came up.

"I vill be taking your word for it, then."

Trembling, Leera flushed the toilet and tried to stand up. Pleakley helped her to her feet and handed her a towel. Leera wiped her face and rinsed her mouth out with water from the sink. Then she splashed cold water on her face.

"You okay, babe?" Pleakley asked her. Leera nodded, but didn't look him in the eye. He put an arm around her, and she leaned against him.

"I think you should go lay down for awhile," he told her, guiding her out of the bathroom and toward their bedroom. Jumba followed. "I told you it wasn't a good idea to drive. Even if you don't get hurt, you could get sick from the ride. Isn't that right, Jumba?"

"That's right," Jumba affirmed.

"And Jumba's a doctor! He knows what he's talking about."

Leera looked back at the larger alien. "I thought you said he was just a mad scientist. Excuse me. I meant evil genius." Her words took on a playful tone and she winked at Jumba.

"No, he's a doctor, too," Pleakley admitted, helping his wife onto their bed. Leera laid down on top of the covers and allowed Pleakley to massage her belly.

"Does it hurt?" he asked her.

"Not anymore, but the baby's squirming. I think its upset."

Jumba stepped up beside Pleakley and looked down at the pregnant woman. "I am thinking maybe it is time for to be examining you again."

Pleakley looked at him in surprise. "What? But you just examined her - what was it? - a month ago!"

"Ah, then she is way overdue for checkup. At this stage it is important for her to be receiving regular checkups. You want baby should be born with grossly mutated body parts? Say, two heads and six toes?"

"Well, of course not! Except for the toes. It's supposed to have six toes."

"Yes, but I was meaning six toes on one foot!"

Jumba grinned and Pleakley frowned at him.

"When you want I should be conducting exam?" Jumba asked Leera. Leera shrugged.

"Any time's good for me."

"Not without me present, it's not!" Pleakley declared.

Leera sighed. "Of course."

A few minutes later, Leera was lying on the bed in Jumba's room, waiting to be examined. Pleakley sat on the bed next to her, holding her hand. Jumba set up the ultrasound equipment and smeared gel over Leera's belly. He then placed the ultrasound scanning device over her swollen middle and moved it around slowly, while his other hand fiddled with the dials on the monitor.

The thunderous sound of twin heartbeats pulsed from the speaker just before the baby's fuzzy silhouette came into focus. Leera smiled when she saw it and looked up at Pleakley, who squeezed her hand affectionately and kissed her on the forehead.

"Little one-eyed one is looking very healthy now," Jumba announced. "Is much bigger now, and development is good. I vould not be surprised if Pleakley Junior is wanting to be born today."

"Well, 'Junior' may be ready, but I'm not," Leera said, propping herself up to get a better look at the monitor. The baby kicked and Leera cringed. "I don't know if I'll ever be ready to give birth."

Pleakley held her hand and patted it. "Aww, sure you will, sweetie. You're a very strong woman. I know you can handle it. And you know I'm gonna be there for you."

Jumba chuckled. "Yes, hubby vill be coming in very useful vhen labor pain is starting. He vill either be panicking or fainting the whole time. Eh, knowing Pleakley, I am putting my money on fainting."

Pleakley grumbled and Leera giggled.

"And if by some miracle he is keeping cool head about his shoulders, he vill be very useful for you to be wailing on for all the months of excruciating pain he's giving you with baby."

Pleakley paled a little and looked down at his wife.

"Oh, don't worry, Wendy. I won't beat you too bad when I'm in labor. Just as long as Jumba supplies me with enough painkillers. Or maybe a local anesthesia."

"How is about trying general anesthesia?" Jumba suggested, giving Pleakley a wink. "Then there vill be no chance of being clobbered by angry wife."

Jumba chuckled until he saw the smoldering look Leera was giving him.

"Don't think that just 'cuz you're not my baby's father I won't clobber you as well! After all, Wendy's not the only one I'm holding responsible for my labor pains. As my doctor, you should be doing everything you can to minimize it. Right?"

Jumba winced at Leera's sharp tone, then very hesitantly picked up a towel and started wiping the gel off her belly, doing so very gently as though trying to avoid setting off a land mine. "Ehhh… right. I vill be doing my best to make sure Pleakley girl's labor is gentle on the all of you. Big Pleakley and Little Pleakley including. Now then —"

Before he could say another word, he was interrupted by a loud crash and a shout from the living room. Pleakley dashed out to see what all the commotion was about, while Jumba helped Leera down from the bed. A moment later, they caught up with Pleakley. In the living room, a tall bookcase near the front door had toppled over, spilling a cascade of books in front of the door. Pleakley approached the mess cautiously, then gasped when something stirred beneath the book pile. A pained groan was heard just before Stitch popped his head out from under a worn copy of _Voodoo for Dummies._

He looked up at Pleakley, who stood over him with his arms folded and his single brow furrowed and cringed.

"Eh, bark bark?"

Pleakley opened his mouth to scold Stitch, but before he could utter a single Plorginarian curse word, a voice shouted from just outside the front door.

"Hello? Wendy? Leera? Are you home?" It was Vay.

"Yeah, Mom, we're home!" Pleakley answered, climbing over the books to get to the door. "Just a sec." He grabbed the doorknob and pulled. The door wouldn't budge. Too many books were in the way. He looked back at Stitch, who was already setting the bookcase back up and gathering up the books.

"I guess Stitch got a little overexcited when he saw who was at the door," he said to his mother. He heard her chuckle in response. Stitch had taken a great liking to Vay, and the liking was mutual.

"Uncle Gidgel's here," Vay shouted through the door. "He wanted to be here for the birth." Her words were followed by a heavy pause, and Pleakley sensed that there was something else she wanted to tell him. Something important. As Stitch went to pick up the last of the books, Vay added, "There's someone else who wanted to see you, too. Someone we haven't seen in a while."

The last books aside, Pleakley opened the door. There on the porch stood three Plorginarians: his mother, his uncle, and a stranger. The moment he locked eyes with the mysterious man, one of his hearts skipped a beat.

Stitch watched from the top shelf of the bookcase where he was putting the last books away. He growled at the stranger. Vay stepped forward and hugged her son. Something in her hug bothered him. When she stepped back, she had the strangest look in her eye. She gestured toward the stranger.

"Wendy, this is Kirk Skirmish. Your father."

The revelation crashed down hard on Pleakley's brain, so hard it shook the whole house. So hard everyone else appeared to have heard and felt it, too. It took a moment for Pleakley to realize that Stitch had knocked the bookcase over again.


	5. Parents and Parenting

CHAPTER FIVE:  
PARENTS AND PARENTING

For a long moment Pleakley stared, wide-eyed and unblinking, at the man who was his father. An almost agonizing silence fell over the house. You could have heard a pin drop, it was so quiet. Kirk bit his lip and tried to hold it in a weak attempt at a smile. His hands fidgeted restlessly at his sides. Vay looked back and forth at Kirk and her son, waiting for one of them to say something. Finally, she decided to break the ice by prompting Kirk with an elbow in his side. Kirk took the hint and stepped forward, clearing his throat, which had suddenly gone dry. He extended a hand to Pleakley.

"Uh, yes, well — hello there, Wendy. It - uh, it's nice to finally meet you… finally. _Ahem!_ Yes."

Pleakley said nothing. He looked at Kirk's hand as though it were the breakfast Leera had thrown up that morning. When he looked him in the eye again, his expression remained unchanged. Seeing this, Kirk winced slightly and dropped his hand to his side. He took a step back, so that he was standing next to Vay.

"He uh, he doesn't talk much, does he?" he muttered.

"When he finds the right words, he does," Vay replied. She turned to her son. "Wendy, honey, don't you have something to say?"

His mother's words seemed to bring him out of his shock. He looked at her, then at Uncle Gidgel, as though looking for a clue. What was he supposed to say to this man? This man who had abandoned him and his mother before he was even born?

Kirk sighed. "Well, I guess he doesn't take too much after either of us. If he did, I think he would have taken a whack at me by n— " _BONK! _Kirk was silenced by a book upside his head. Pleakley spun around to see Stitch arming himself with four more books, one for each paw. He bared his teeth and growled threateningly. Kirk took one look at him and made a mad dash down the front steps toward the cruiser he had arrived in. Stitch dropped the books and went after him. Kirk's terrified screams shattered the peaceful morning air and everyone, including Leera and Jumba, rushed out to see what Stitch was doing to him.

Out in the driveway, Stitch had plucked a palm tree up by its roots and was waving and shaking it violently like a giant baton. The tree had already lost several of its fronds, then two more fell off to reveal Kirk clinging desperately to the trunk, screaming bloody murder. Pleakley smiled at the sight. He would never be able to tell the little monster how grateful he was for that.

"Stitch!" Vay shouted, running toward him. "Stop that right now!"

Stitch cringed at the anger in her voice and obeyed.

"Now, put it down," she said sternly, and again he obeyed, dropping his ears and flashing his puppy-dog eyes at her as he carefully set the tree back in its hole in the ground. Then he dropped to his haunches and cast his eyes downward, looking for all the world like a punished pup. Vay walked up to him and patted his head.

"Good boy." She looked up the tree and shouted, "It's alright, Kirk! You can come down now!"

Very slowly, and very awkwardly, Kirk slid down the trunk. The instant his first foot touched the ground, he bolted away from Stitch, putting Vay between himself and the little monster.

"W-w-what the hell is that thing?" he stammered.

"Is evil genius genetic experiment number six-two-six," Jumba said, by way of introduction. He approached Kirk and held out a meaty paw. "Created by yours truly. Dr. Jumba Jookiba, evil genius, genetic engineer, triple PhD, and so forth."

Kirk forced a smile and stuck out his hand. "Pleasure," he muttered, as Jumba seized his entire forearm and shook it vigorously.

"Yes," Jumba agreed, letting go of a shaken Kirk. "Is great pleasure for to finally be meeting careless, conceited, home-wrecking, chauvinistic, backstabbing bastard of father to one-eyed one. Great pleasure indeed." Jumba smiled broadly at him. Kirk was speechless; he just nodded and backed away.

"Please to be coming back inside!" Jumba said, a little too cheerfully. He waved a massive hand in the air as an invitation and Kirk cringed at the sight of it. Vay gave him a rather forceful nudge and he followed the larger alien back up to the house. Pleakley stood in the driveway, watching as everyone else filed past and up the porch steps. When Kirk passed him, he quickly pretended to be concerned about Leera, who was standing beside him. He threw an arm around her shoulder and put his other hand on her belly. He just couldn't bear to look _that man_ in the eye. When he looked at his wife, he realized with a small sickening pang that he couldn't bear to look _her_ in the eye, either.

Five minutes later, the ice had been— cracked, though for Pleakley and Kirk it was far from broken. The instant the group was in the living room, Leera had suggested tea and Pleakley, grateful for his wife's perceptive thinking, seized the opportunity to escape the immediate vicinity of his father. He rushed into the kitchen to start the tea. He drummed his fingers on the counter impatiently as he waited for the kettle to boil.

"A watched pot never boils, you know."

Pleakley jolted, then turned to look at his mother.

"Honey, I know this is hard for you, having your father back in your life — "

"THAT man," Pleakley started, "is NOT my father!" He said this in a low tone packed with vehemence.

"I'm afraid he is," Vay said calmly.

"No. He's not," Pleakley growled. Vay sighed and rolled her eye.

"Maybe you didn't quite get it the first time I explained it to you," she said frankly. "Though, seeing as you have a kid on the way, it would appear that you did."

"Huh?"

Vay sighed again. "Kirk is your father, Wendy. I would know. He was the only guy I was sleeping with at the time, so what does that tell you?"

"Too much," Pleakley groaned. "Way too much." He blushed and looked back at the kettle, which was finally beginning to boil.

"Well, like it or not, that makes him your father. You wouldn't even be here today if it wasn't for him."

"Don't remind me." Pleakley picked up the kettle and poured the hot water into six separate cups.

"There's seven of us, Wendy," Vay pointed out.

"Yeah, I know," he mumbled, setting the kettle aside and opening up a tin of sugar cookies. He poured them out on a tray with the teacups. "Stitch doesn't care for tea."

"Oh, right. For a moment there I thought you weren't going to give any to your — to Kirk."

Pleakley picked up the tray. "I may not be happy about him being here, but I'm not gonna be passive-aggressive about it."

"Well, then what do you call what you've been doing so far?"

"What? I haven't done anything!"

"Exactly."

Pleakley glared at his mother. "What do you expect me to do? Throw my arms around him and say 'Oh, Daddy! I'm SO happy to see you! Look at me! I'm going all gaga for the dad I never knew! But I don't care! Daddy's here! After thirty freaking years, he's back, and everything's just fine and dandy, 'cuz my mother has no problem with the fact that he knocked her up and left her all alone to raise the kid that turned out to be ME! But who cares? I'm just so DAMN HAPPY HE'S BACK! _WHOOPEEEEEEEEE!" _

Vay smacked him across the face. Not at all hard, but enough to shut him up.

"Wendy Llewellyn Pleakley!" she growled, and the tone of her voice sent shivers down his non-existent spine. "That is quite enough!" She glared sharply at her son, and Pleakley winced, burning red with shame. Seeing this, Vay's frown melted away and was replaced by a look of tenderness.

"Look, honey, I'm sorry I brought this on you so suddenly. I don't blame you for being upset." She took the tray out of his hands and set it aside. Then she pulled him into a gentle embrace. "Truth is, I'm not happy, either." She made a small sound, and Pleakley wasn't sure if it was a sigh or a sob. "Things were going so well for us, and then HE had to come back."

Pleakley hesitated, then lifted his arms to return the hug. "Then why did you let him, Mom? Why didn't you just beat him to a bloody pulp and have done with it? That's what I would have done, if I were you."

"Oh, believe me, I did," Vay chuckled. "But I only paid back a small percentage of what he deserves. The only thing that kept me from finishing the job was you."

Pleakley pulled back and looked at her curiously. "Me?"

Vay nodded. "He may have walked out on us both, but he did do one thing right."

"And what's that?"

Vay's eye was shining as she looked at her son. "He gave me you," she whispered, hugging him again. "When I look at it that way, I can't stay completely mad at him. I'm still 99 percent mad, but who knows? Maybe he'll surprise us."

Pleakley smirked. "You really believe that?"

Vay shrugged. "Well, he's done it before, hasn't he? At least _now _I'm too old to be knocked up and dumped like yesterday's trash."

"Aw, Mom, you're not old. Not really."

"Well, I am past my child-bearing years, thank Bluzark. With a guy like Kirk around, a gal could get pregnant just shaking hands with him."

Pleakley blushed at this remark. "Aw, Mom, couldja please not talk about that sort of thing? We're in a kitchen. I prepare meals in here, and most of those meals are eaten in here. It's hard enough keeping this place clean as it is."

Vay chuckled. "Alright, alright. C'mon. Let's get this tea out to the living room before it gets cold."

"Okay." Pleakley picked up the tray and started toward the living room, but stopped when Vay put a hand on his arm.

"Please, Wendy. Please try to get along with Kirk. I know you're mad at him, but I know you can at least pretend to be pleasant with him. I've been doing it for the past week."

Pleakley looked at her questioningly. "Why?" he asked. "Just gimme one good reason why I should be nice to him."

Vay sighed deeply. "It's called 'being the better person,'" she said. "And I know you're the better person in this. You have to be." She turned to look at Leera, who had just entered the kitchen. Vay smiled warmly at her daughter-in-law, her eye lingering on the young woman's belly. Pleakley looked at his wife, then past her to where his father was waiting in the living room and sighed.

"Gimme another good reason?"

"Because I'm your mother and I said so."

"Works for me," Pleakley muttered before taking the tray out to his guest.


	6. The Real Heroes

CHAPTER SIX:  
THE REAL HEROES

"Who ordered the decaf?" Pleakley chirped, struggling to keep his voice light and a smile on his face as he set the tea tray down on the coffee table.

"That's mine," Leera answered, planting herself on the sofa between Gidgel and her husband. "No one else asked for it and you know caffeine's not good for the baby, Wendy."

"Of course," Pleakley mumbled, blushing a little as he handed her a cup and a sugar cookie.

Jumba took his cup and a handful of cookies, leaving the others with only half the amount they had started with. "I am thinking this vill be time for Pleakley family discussing of things. Pleased to have been meeting you, Mister Pleakley's father. Now if you vill all be excusing me, I vill be taking leave to lab for remainder of afternoon. No calls." Jumba bowed to the group before disappearing out the back door. Stitch followed.

Once they were out of earshot Vay, who was sitting on the adjacent sofa next to Kirk, gave her ex a slight nudge for encouragement. Kirk read her signal and picked up his cup, taking a very long sip and then making a great show of clearing his throat before addressing his son.

"So, Wendy, I uh, I hear that you're a decorated war hero of sorts. Well, actually, I didn't just hear it. I did happen to see the award ceremony a few months back. But then, how could I not have heard? Victory celebrations kept me awake for three weeks straight. No surprise, though. After all, with those damn Kaizaxx prowling about the universe for the past few decades, who wouldn't have celebrated? And for all your trouble, a Supernova. Well, it doesn't get much better than that, does it?"

Pleakley sat there silently taking his words in. But the moment Kirk stopped talking, he groaned inwardly, knowing full well that this meant that he would have to reply to the man he despised. He took a sip of tea, then a deep breath, steadying himself.

"Yes, well, actually it wasn't only me. Mom and Leera got Supernovas, too. I hardly did anything. They're the real heroes, not me. I didn't even deserve that medal, but the grand councilwoman insisted on giving it to me."

Kirk chuckled. "Boy's not only a hero, but a modest one at that. You raised him up good, Vay." He patted Vay's hand, which rested on her thigh. Pleakley saw this and tensed.

"Mom's a real hero," he blurted out. "And Leera, too. Really. What I did was nothing compared to them."

"But you must have done something admirable in the eyes of the Federation," Kirk argued. Pleakley shrugged and looked away.

"He doesn't like to talk about it," Vay explained.

"Ah, I see," Kirk nodded sagely. Yeah, it wasn't a pretty sight being around the Kaizaxx those last few weeks they were in control of things. I know. I was there, too. But I bet you were lucky enough to never come face-to-face with their leader, Horsthar Le'Kruune!"

Pleakley's head snapped up at the mention of that name and Vay cleared her throat loudly.

"Yes, actually, we _have_ had the displeasure of meeting him." The careful enunciation of her words concealed the heavy truths behind them, though Kirk did not seem to have picked up on them. Instead he was looking around the group in shock.

"Are you serious? All of you met him? Or just you and Wendy?"

"All except Gidgel," Vay answered. "But it really wasn't anything worth bragging about — "

"Are you kidding?" Kirk interrupted. "That's a pretty big deal, considering the fact that very few Federation members have ever met him and then lived to tell about it! Well, you guys are very lucky then. You remember several years back when he hijacked that Federation flagship — the Quasar, I think it was called…"

At the mention of that name, Leera's teacup clattered loudly against its saucer, spilling hot tea in her lap. She gasped and hastily traded her cup for a napkin from the tray to dab at her wet skirt. Kirk took little notice of this and continued.

"Yeah, that was it. The Quasar. You all remember that, don'tcha? 'Bout twelve years ago, I think it was. The Kaizaxx commandeered the ship and took everyone aboard into custody. That was about three dozen prisoners, and about half of them were women. Anyway, Le'Kruune raped 'em all and tortured all the men. Then he just dumped them all off on a desert planet in the Sunhd System. Made the news big time 'cuz everyone was so surprised that he did all that and then didn't bother to finish 'em off like he usually did. You remember that?"

"Yes, we do," Vay said stiffly, glancing over at Leera, who was now looking very pale as she sat staring into her teacup with a poker face. Beside her, Pleakley looked horrified. One hand rested on his wife's back, put there for emotional as well as physical support.

"Such a shame, though," Kirk was saying, and all eyes were immediately glued to him. "What he did to all those people. And then to let them live! I dunno. Maybe it's just me, but they all probably would've been better off if he'd just killed them. I mean, can you imagine what those poor people went through onboard his ship? Being raped, and tortured. Who would even _want_ to live after that?"

A very heavy silence fell after his words, followed seconds later by the shatter of china. Leera had jumped to her feet, slamming her cup and saucer down on the table with such force that they fractured and then crashed to pieces on the wooden floor. Then she fled sobbing into the bedroom, bolting the door behind her. Back in the living room, four Plorginarians stared in utter shock in the direction she had gone.

"What was THAT all about?" asked Kirk, and all eyes turned to glare at him in contempt. "What?" he asked again.

Pleakley stood up and opened his mouth to deliver a universal curse on him, buy Vay interrupted.

"Rape is a very sensitive subject in this household," she explained. "Particularly with Leera."

Kirk's eye widened in the shock of sudden understanding. "You mean she — ?"

Vay nodded solemnly. "She was a member of the Quasar crew when that happened."

"Oh, good Lord. I had no idea." He shook his head and looked at the floor. When he looked up again, Pleakley and Gidgel were still glaring angrily at him. He gulped. "Well, how was I supposed to know that?" he demanded.

"You _weren't _supposed to know that," Pleakley growled, his eye burning into him with utmost hatred, before going to check on his wife.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Ooh, tension! Sorry for the slow update, folks. I think I'm back on track now, so I'm going to work really hard to bring you at least one new chapter a week, even if it's a short one like this. BTW, I am always open to suggestions. Also, I am in the process of posting my original character fan art on an all-access site. As soon as they're up, I will post a link to it so all can see what Vay and Leera and the rest of the gang look like. Please review! Remember, reviews fuel the story!


	7. A Tense Sense

Disclaimer: I do not own "Lilo & Stitch" or any of the characters therein, excluding Vay, Leera, Gidgel and Kirk, who belong to me.

CHAPTER SEVEN:  
A TENSE SENSE

Leera flung herself down on the bed and buried her face in her pillow, which muffled the sound of her sobs. Disturbed by its mother's violent movements, the baby gave a sharp kick that made Leera gasp and sob so hard that she nearly inhaled her pillow. The pain in her womb made her realize that she was lying on her stomach. She rolled over on her side facing the window just in time as Pleakley opened the door and walked in. Quickly, before he could notice, she dried her eye off on the bedspread and took a deep breath to calm herself. The last thing she wanted was for him to worry about her.

Leera waited a long moment for the inevitable "Honey, are you okay?" but it never came. The silence in the room suggested that Pleakley was standing still. After what seemed like a whole minute he approached the bed. Leera felt the mattress dip under her husband's weight as he sat down on it behind her. She lay perfectly still with her eye closed, waiting for him to say something. Seconds ticked by. Still silence. Leera's senses strained hard for some kind of sign, but all they were aware of were the light breeze coming in through the window, the festive floral scent of fabric softener used on the bedding, and the faint sound of heated debate in the living room.

With a soft sigh, Pleakley laid down on the bed. It was a whole other minute before he did anything else. Cautiously he moved closer to his wife until his body was pressed up against hers. Then he slowly snaked a hand around her middle until it came to rest on her belly. She felt his warm breath on the back of her neck shortly before he began to nuzzle at it. Leera smiled, settling into his embrace. It seemed he understood what she was feeling, right down to the "Yes, I'm fine! Now please leave me the hell alone!" part, which she didn't even have to communicate out loud. He was always so good about that.

But there was something off in his comfort, something slightly alien in his gentle attempt at necking her. Sure, Leera knew how deeply he cared for her; how he shared in her pain because of his love for her, but this was different. She thought she could feel some of Pleakley's own pain at that moment. _His _pain, not just her own shared pain. But she wasn't sure, and she wanted to know, so she rolled over onto her other side until she was facing her husband.

"You okay, hon?" she whispered.

Pleakley stared at her a moment before answering. "Uh, yeah. I just came in here to check on you. I should be asking you that question, not the other way around."

"Yeah, I'm okay," Leera lied. Her eye dropped to her belly. "Baby was upset, so I came in here to have a little rest before it kicked the crap outta me, literally." It was almost a half-truth. A quarter-truth at best, but Pleakley did not argue. Leera knew he didn't believe it, but was grateful that he didn't want to hurt her by pressing the matter further.

"So what's bugging _you_?" she asked him. "I know I'm not the only reason you came in here, Wendy."

At this, Pleakley sighed and hugged her closer. "You really are ruthless, you know that?" he said to her. "I came in here with the sole purpose of comforting my wife and you won't even allow it. Instead you insist on trying to comfort me! That's like adding insult to injury, you know."

Leera caught the jest in his words and smiled, snuggling up to him and pecking him on the cheek. "Yep. And I just love the way you squirm under torture," she purred, nuzzling his neck.

Pleakley blushed. "Well, it's not exactly torture, but when you put it that way…" he trailed off, trembling slightly as she pressed herself against him. She looked longingly into his eye before brushing her lips teasingly over his. Pleakley rose to the bait and his hungry lips sought hers, but she drew back before he could get a hold of them.

"_Now_ it's torture," he moaned, leaning over to claim a kiss.

"Hey, is everything okay in here?"

Startled, Pleakley pulled his head up and stared in horror at his mother, who was standing at the threshold. He sat up quickly and said "Yes! Yes! Everything's fine! No problems here!" a little too loudly.

"Good," Vay replied, looking doubtful. She stepped into the room. Kirk and Gidgel followed close behind. Pleakley's hearts darkened with fury when he saw Kirk. He let out a chilling growl.

"Get that bastard out of my room." Though he said this very calmly and quietly, the words were packed with a deadly venom. Kirk paled.

"Wendy— " Vay started. But now Pleakley was climbing out of bed.

"You tell him to stay away from Leera if he knows what's good for him! Or so help me God I'll… I'll…" Pleakley growled in frustration as his threat fell unfinished from his lips.

"Wendy." Pleakley turned at the sound of his wife's voice. Leera was sitting up at the edge of the bed, one hand resting on her belly. The look in her eye was strange, unreadable, but one look at it and all of Pleakley's pretenses were melted. He glanced back at Kirk. The man looked at him so pitifully he practically had GUILTY written across his face. Pleakley sighed.

Vay nudged Kirk, and he stepped forward. "I am extremely sorry for what I said out there. It was downright thoughtless of me. I should have realized… Well, I should have known better than to open my mouth at all. If I'm not welcome here, then of course anything I say wouldn't be welcome either. Again I apologize." He looked at Leera and blushed. Leera offered a small smile as a token of forgiveness and Kirk seemed to relax a little. He looked at Wendy and was tense again.

"I can only hope that you'll allow us to put this incident behind us and give me the chance to try again on a clean slate. What do you say, son?"

Pleakley frowned. "I am _not_ your son," he growled.

Kirk paled again, but quickly recovered. A twisted smile played on his lips. "You know, I spent the last thirty years telling myself the same thing," he said, taking everyone by surprise. "I didn't want a son, so I denied it, even to myself. But deep down I knew the truth, and I knew I couldn't change facts. No matter how much I tried to convince myself that I couldn't be your father, the truth was always there and it hurt to deny it. I was afraid, and I didn't even know what I was running from. But you can't outrun the truth, and you can't hide from it. Nothing can change it or make it go away, either. The only weapon against it is strength. And acceptance. It took me thirty years to find those weapons, and they helped me see the truth for what it really was: not a monster to live in fear of, but a wonderful treasure. At least, that's the way I'm starting to see it now. I don't expect you to forgive me, Wendy, but damnit, don't deny me. In the end you're only hurting yourself."

A long silence followed Kirk's speech, during which Pleakley appeared to be fighting a small battle inside. He stared at the floor for a while, then looked up at Kirk. His father's eye seemed to be pleading with him. He then glanced sideways at his mother, whose own eye was pleading with him too.

"Alright, fine. I won't deny you're my - uh - other parent, but only because Mom asked me to do so earlier. _She_ never did me any wrong, so I trust her." These last few words struck a nerve in Kirk. It was obvious by the look on his face. And Pleakley hadn't exactly kept the dark emphasis from seeping into his voice when he uttered them. There was a very tense pause, then Pleakley glanced at the clock and said, "Well, look at the time! Nani and Lilo will be home in a few hours. I'd better go start dinner now. With all these unexpected guests, it'll be a miracle if my spinach-and-pineapple soufflé doesn't collapse before it reaches the table!"


	8. Ugly Ducklings

CHAPTER EIGHT:  
UGLY DUCKLINGS

"Aloha! I'm home!" Lilo called out as she burst through the front door. "Stitch? Pleakley? Leera? Hey, where is everybody?"

Pleakley came scrambling out of the kitchen just then with a maniacal look on his face. "Lilo, SSSHHHHHHH!" he said in a loud whisper, pressing a finger to his lips. "Any loud noises and my soufflé is done for! And don't slam the — " BANG! "— door." Pleakley's eye twitched before he turned and went back to the kitchen. Lilo slung her backpack down on the floor and followed him quietly on tiptoe. The lack of wailing or alien curses must have meant that the soufflé had survived. When Lilo entered the kitchen, she found Pleakley bent over in front of the oven. She kept a safe distance as he pulled the soufflé out and set it on the counter. She sniffed the air.

"Mmmm. Smells good. What is it?"

"It's my very own secret recipe. Spinach-and-pineapple soufflé," Pleakley told her with pride.

"Buuuut, how can it be secret if you just told me what was in it?"

"Because I didn't tell you the secret ingredient: Mrs. Dash! Oops. You didn't just hear that."

Lilo grinned. "Got it."

"Lilo, be an angel and help me set the table, will you?" Pleakley asked her, before he noticed her dirty hands. "No wait! On second thought, why don't you just go wash up. And tell Stitch to wash up, too. I'm sure he's gotten pretty filthy by now, doing whatever it is little monsters do."

"Where is Stitch?" Lilo asked. "And where's Jumba and Leera and your mom?"

"Oh, they're all out back and… how did you know my mom was here?"

"I saw the spaceship out front."

"Yes, but that's not my mom's spaceship."

Lilo shrugged. "Well, I just figured that that meant she was here. We weren't expecting anyone else from outer space, were we?"

Pleakley hesitated a moment before answering. "No. We most certainly were not."

Lilo did not notice his sudden change in mood. "So did your mom get a new ship?"

"No. That's not her ship out there."

"Then whose is it? Your uncle's?"

"No. It's— "

The back door opened just then and in walked Vay, followed by Leera, Gidgel, Kirk, Jumba and Stitch.

"…And THAT is vhy they call it explodinginface fruit," Jumba was explaining to a slime-covered Kirk.

Lilo stared raptly at Pleakley's father as he stood waiting for Vay to hand him a towel to wipe his face off. "Cool! A sludge mummy!"

Vay chuckled, handing Kirk the towel. Then she knelt down to trade hugs with an ecstatic Lilo.

"Is the sludge mummy a friend of yours, Pleakley's Mom?"

"Not exactly. Wendy, love, would you like to make the introductions?"

Pleakley shrugged and snorted. "Yeah, sure. Lilo, this is Mr. Skirmish. Mr. Scumbag, Lilo."

"Wendy!"

"Sorry. Let me try again. Ahem! Allow me to introduce Mr. Scuzzball — uh, I mean Scurvy — I mean Skirmish!"

Lilo stared questioningly at Pleakley for a long moment before finally turning to look at Kirk. Then her face split in a wide grin and she extended a hand to him.

"H'lo there, Mr. Squeamish-Scumbag-Scuzzball-Scurvy-Skirmish! It's nice to finally meet a real live sludge mummy."

Kirk hesitated before shaking hands. "Um, charmed, I'm sure. However I'm not a sludge mummy. I'm a Plorginarian. And you are — ?"

"I'm Lilo."

"Uh-huh, and what exactly is a Lilo?"

"Me!"

Leera giggled and patted her on the head. "A Lilo is a very amusing and clever little human girl." Pleased with this answer, Lilo beamed and hugged Leera's belly.

"So are you a relative of Pleakley's?" she asked Kirk, after he managed to wipe most of the slime off his face.

"In a manner of speaking…" Kirk began, glancing first at Pleakley then at Vay for visual cues. "I'm Wendy's father."

Pleakley made a sound somewhere between clearing his throat and growling and turned back to his soufflé. Lilo was the only person who appeared not to notice this.

"Wow. I didn't know you had a dad, Pleakley!"

At this, Pleakley made another small noise which sounded an awful lot like the words "I don't," but this also went largely ignored or unnoticed.

"So how come I never heard about him before?" Lilo asked him, tugging on his apron. Pleakley kept his back to everyone as he replied, "Because he wasn't worth mentioning."

But Lilo was persistent. "Why not?" she asked innocently. "Don't you love your dad?"

The question assaulted Pleakley's brain and shorted out his ability to speak for a moment. He felt like one of his hearts had just dropped into the pit of his stomach. A very tense silence stretched for several seconds afterward, during which nobody seemed to want to intervene on Pleakley's behalf. Finally, Kirk volunteered an explanation.

"I'm afraid he hasn't known me long enough to decide whether he does or not. You see, I — I only just met my son for the first time this morning."

Lilo considered his answer. "Well, then, how can you be his dad if you've never met him before?"

"Well, I — " Kirk began, but was silenced by a discouraging look from Vay. Then Vay herself volunteered to explain.

"Lilo, let me ask you something. You know the story of the ugly duckling?"

"Of course! I have the book in my room! It's one of Stitch's favorites. I read it to him his first night here."

"Okay. Well, you know what happened when the ugly duckling first hatched from its egg?"

"He was all alone and scared."

"And it took him a while to find his parents, didn't it?"

"Yeah."

"And when he did, he didn't really feel like he belonged with them. Right?"

"Uh-huh."

"Well, it's sorta like that with Wendy and _his_ dad."

"Oh." Lilo was silent a moment, then: "But the ugly duckling _didn't_ belong, 'cuz the ducks weren't his parents. The swans were. But he didn't find them until later in the story."

"Oh, well, ummm, same thing. You know what I mean, right? It's just— kind of a hard thing to explain."

"I think I understand. But how come Pleakley's not happy about meeting his dad? The ugly duckling was happy when he found _his _parents, so how come _he's_ not happy?"

Vay thought hard. "I suppose it's because he — he already knows where he belongs. He has friends and family who love him, so nothing was missing to begin with."

"I still think he should be happy," Lilo said matter-of-factly. She went up to Pleakley again, who was pretending to busy himself with the soufflé. She smiled widely at him, and he saw this from the corner of his eye and turned to look at her.

"I'm happy for you, Pleakley. Know why?" He answered her with a stare. "'Cuz now you've got even more ohana."

"Great," he grumbled, turning back to his soufflé. Lilo just kept grinning.

"Know what else?"

"What? No, wait. Don't tell me. Ohana means family, and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten. Right?"

"Yep!"

Pleakley snorted. "Yeah. Right. Tell that to Mr. Sleazebag over there."

"Why?"

"Oh, I don't know." He swung around to face her. To face all of them. "Maybe because he _LEFT_ me and my mom _BEHIND_ and then _FORGOT _all about us!"

Lilo took a step backward in surprise at the sudden anger in his voice. Everyone in the kitchen: Vay, Leera, Gidgel, Kirk, Jumba, Stitch, and Lilo, all stared at him in shock.

"But… he came back, didn't he? He's here now, right?" the little girl asked timidly.

"Yeah, but where was he when we needed him? Huh?" Pleakley demanded, glaring over Lilo's head at Kirk as he said this. "Not that we ever actually _did_ need him. But where in Blitznak was he when I was born prematurely and nearly died? Where was he when Mom had to sell herself just to make enough money to keep a roof over our heads? Where was he when I contracted the txacchioblerrus virus and nearly died again at the age of nine? Where was he when the Kaizaxx were torturing me just for the fun of it? Where was he _then_? Huh?"

At the end of his rant, Pleakley stopped to catch his breath. Kirk was as pale as a ghost, and everyone else was looking pretty much the same. As his words sank in, Lilo's face slowly worked its way into a frown.

"Well at least you _have _a dad! _And _a mom, too! If I were you I'd be really happy!" she shouted, her lip trembling.

Pleakley stared at her in shock. "Oh, Lilo…" he squeaked, reaching a hand out to her. Lilo bolted away from him, keeping a wide berth as she ran past the small crowd gathered in the kitchen and down the hallway to the elevator. Stitch ran after her, growling something unfavorable in Turian at Pleakley before disappearing around the corner. Lilo and Stitch sealed themselves inside their room and did not come down until Nani got home twenty minutes later and hollered for them to come down to dinner or starve. They both came down an hour late, ate twice as much spinach-and-pineapple soufflé as everyone else, and then acted as though the argument with Pleakley had never taken place.


	9. The Many Meanings of Love

CHAPTER NINE:  
THE MANY MEANINGS OF LOVE

That evening Kirk returned alone to his ship. Despite the aloha hospitality Hawaii was known for and it's strong belief in ohana, he was still a stranger, and a barely welcomed one at that. He knew without being told that his place among them was under quarantine, and for the time being, he would just have to sleep in his own ship. This did not really bother him. On more than a few occasions, his ship had been his home, and it still was. Especially now on this remote backwater planet where the locals' tolerance of his presence was lukewarm at best.

But as he boarded the ship and went about tidying things up, the RV-sized cruiser felt emptier than usual. Glancing at the clock on the control console, he noted that it was still registering in standard galactic hours. According to his clock, it was still early, although the Earth's sun had set over two hours ago. Here on Kauai it was 9:30, but Kirk's mind and body were still on standard galactic time, which meant that to him the night was very young. He looked out the windshield toward the Pelekai house and sighed. Dim light or darkness at each window. While everyone else was settling in for the night, Kirk was wide awake and restless. He knew he would probably be just falling asleep when everyone else was waking up the next morning. Curse it.

He sighed and popped open a Blix Ale. Taking a long swig, he belched and flopped down on his couch, thoroughly depressed. He put two feet up on the low table in front of the couch, spilling a half-empty bowl of three-day-old popcorn onto the floor. He took another drink and started to feel a little warm from it. Too bad he didn't feel merry yet. Blix Ale wasn't quite strong enough to do the trick, but it would suffice enough to allow him to drink himself into a stupor in under three bottles. After that who cared.

The night was warm and humid. He'd read up a little on this particular region of Earth the week before, but nothing had prepared him for the humidity. The ship's forward hatch had been left open and the ramp down to allow in the little cool breeze. At least it no longer felt quite as stuffy inside as it had been when he'd first walked in. Relaxing on the couch, he began to cool off, but neither the breeze nor the ale could relieve his restlessness. Geesh, what was he so worked up about?

Only part of Kirk's agitation was emotional. Things could have gone a whole lot worse, but they hadn't, and he was grateful for that fact. He just might be able to win his son's affections after all. At least it didn't appear to be an impossibility. A long shot, maybe. A very, very, very long shot, but not impossible. But again, this was only half of his troubles. The rest was… something different. Something raw and almost animalistic in nature. Something definitely physical. Maybe it was the high concentration of nitrogen in the Earth's atmosphere, or the energizing dose of vitamin D brought on by the Earth's sunlight. Whatever it was, it was driving him mad. Half of him wanted to jump up and go party like it was Armageddon, and the other half just wanted to drown itself in the half-drained bottle of Blix Ale. The drink wasn't going to make passing the night any easier, he realized too late.

"Hello! Kirk? You in here?" a voice called from the forward hatch ramp. Kirk bolted upright and looked around. He recognized her voice a split second before Vay appeared at the threshold. She was dressed in her nightclothes: a long flannel gown of soft lavender, with lacy shoulder straps in place of sleeves. Her hair was down: wavy auburn locks tumbled gracefully past her shoulders. His breath caught when he saw her and the restlessness he had been battling returned tenfold to gnaw at him.

"Hey, there! You're not going to bed already, are you?" she asked him.

Words caught in his throat and he had to force them out. "N-no. I just figured that since everyone else was getting ready for bed, I might as well save you all the trouble of tossing me out with the dog."

Vay smiled. "You mean Stitch? Actually, he sleeps in Lilo's room. But you didn't have to run off in such a hurry. Lilo's got school in the morning, so she has to be in bed by nine. Stitch too. The rest of us are staying up to watch Earth movies. Tonight we're watching the first installment of a trilogy called "Lord of the Wings," I think. It's a three-hour movie, so it's gonna be a long night."

Kirk grunted. "Tell me about it." He took a sip of his ale. He kept his eye fixed on his bottle to avoid looking at Vay. Seeing her like that was beginning to bring back memories… and feelings. Vay stared at him for a long moment, not sure what to say. Small talk had a way of taking the long, boring, non-scenic route before arriving at its intended destination.

"Well, aren't you gonna come in and watch it with us? You're in for a real treat. Earth movies may be two-dimensional, but it's rather amazing how realistic the special effects are. Of course, the only senses you experience are sight and sound, but the storylines are just incredible." Having said that, Vay now felt a bit awkward. _Damnit, Kirk, why do you have to be so difficult? Why did I even bother coming out here? Because I feel sorry for him? Kirk's the jerk, not me._ Vay had no idea what had compelled her to come to Kirk's ship, but now that she was here and talking to him, she knew she had better make this sound like a legitimate visit. No "just checking up on you" or "hey, wanna watch a movie?" would be legitimate enough, so she tried another tactic.

Kirk seemed troubled, and he must have been to have just opened his second Blix Ale since leaving the house only a quarter of an hour earlier. He had never been much of a drinker. Only a social drinker, but that had been thirty years ago. For all she knew, he might be an alcoholic by now. Vay doubted that. She had a feeling that he was drinking out of anxiety, and that wasn't good. Especially all alone in his ship. He still hadn't answered her question. _Oh Blitznak, he's not drunk already, is he? He can't still be a lightweight after all these years._

Drawn by some unknown force, Vay sat down on the couch next to Kirk. He shot her a sideways glance, then pulled his eye away and took up his second bottle.

"Want one?" he asked, holding it up. "I've got Blix Ales and Poiuyt-Rewq Rum in the mini bar over there." He gestured toward the kitchen area.

"Sure."

Kirk set his bottle down and got up from the couch. He walked into the kitchen area and opened up the mini bar. "So, what'll it be? Oh, look! I've got a couple of Coldstars left. You still like those?"

Vay shook her head. "I haven't had much of a taste for the girly drinks since Wendy was a toddler. Don't you have anything stronger than Poiuyt-Rewq Rum?"

"Nope. Finished off the good stuff when the Kaizaxx were defeated. Haven't bothered to restock since I still get a massive hangover just thinking about it."

Vay chuckled. "Oh, well. I guess I'll take the rum then. I really shouldn't, though. Even if I don't get drunk I'll probably end up falling asleep halfway through the movie. You sure you don't want to join us?"

Kirk handed her a bottle and sat down. "Nah. I figure it's best I just give Wendy a little space. He's obviously had more than enough of me for one day, and I know he's just tolerating me because of you. At least you've got a kid who listens to you. Though I kinda wonder what you told him about me to make him hate me so much in the first place!" Kirk forced a chuckle, hoping he wouldn't come off as presumptuous or rude.

Vay took a sip of the rum and thought about it. "I don't think he hates you, Kirk. At least, not for the reason you think he might hate you. _I_ think that, deep down inside, he's really more upset about the fact that there's another man in his mother's life. I mean, he's never really accepted any of my relationships. But I don't blame him. Without one strong father figure in his life, it must be hard to put up with an endless parade of strangers stealing my attention from him, however briefly."

Kirk frowned in disbelief. "_Endless parade of strangers_? Jeez, Vay, exactly how many men does that imply?"

Vay punched him in the arm and took another drink. "That was an expression, you sleaze! The exact number of parade participants is my business only. Besides, I've lost count."

Kirk just stared stupidly at her as she sipped her rum. She caught sight of him out of the corner of her eye and lowered the bottle.

"What?"

Suddenly feeling himself on the spot, Kirk blushed and said, "Nothing. I'm just having trouble picturing you with another man. It was hard enough to believe you'd go with a guy like me!"

Vay snorted. "Yeah, well, you obviously got over it when I told you I was pregnant. You may have skipped town then, but the fun sure as hell didn't stop there. You left behind a lot of competition, you know."

Kirk glared at her. "Now you're just trying to make me jealous! Well I'll have you know that I've had my own endless parade of women over the past thirty years too!"

Vay laughed and took another drink. She was starting to feel a little too cheerful. "I hardly think two or three women constitutes an endless parade!" she said gaily, punching him in the arm again.

"Ow! Hey, that hurts a lot more than my arm, you know! Jeez, Vay, you're not drunk already, are you? No. You used to be able to keep a straight face until the eight shot of Aghshten Whiskey! You can't be drunk yet."

"No," Vay chuckled, calming herself down. "I'm just enjoying myself, is all. The rum helps, but it'll take a lot more than this to make me strip naked and dance on the table."

Kirk smiled impishly. "Well, in that case, allow me to refresh your drink!" He started to get up.

"Oh, no thank you," Vay said loudly, putting a hand up to stop him. "I'm not falling for that one again."

"Falling for what?" Kirk asked innocently.

"You know exactly what I mean. One drink leads to another, and then one _thing_ leads to another, and then it's just another case of Wham! Bam! Thank You, Ma'am. We've been through that routine before."

"Oh, well forgive me for trying," Kirk said as he sat back down on the couch. "You can't blame a guy for being a guy, can you? But hey! At least now you're too old to worry about getting knocked up."

Vay sobered up at this remark and glared darkly at Kirk. Kirk winced, realizing what he'd just said. "Sorry. I didn't mean you were _old_ old, just old enough that you don't have to worry about getting pregnant anymore, because you can't. That's all I meant by it, honest! You sure as hell don't _look_ old. In fact, you look great for your age! Really! And I mean that in the best way possible! Just please don't hit me again! My arm's already sore from those first two hits."

Kirk flung his arm up to ward off an attack, but to his surprise, Vay laughed. "You haven't changed a bit, Kirk. You haven't grown any brains in your head in thirty years, and you're still thinking with your crotch! I would have thought better of you. But you did catch me by surprise by coming back, so I'll give you that. All I'd like to know is why? Why are you here, and why did it take you so damn long?"

Kirk sighed. "We've been through this a million times already. I told you why. The past finally caught up with me, and I want to set things right. Don't you believe that?"

"No," Vay said sternly, and he looked at her in shock. "I don't believe that. Not entirely. I think there's something else. Now what is it?"

She fixed him with a piercing gaze that held him captive. Kirk suddenly felt very warm, and wondered if he was blushing. But something in Vay's eye seemed to melt the last of his reservations. He found himself reaching for her hand.

"I came back for Wendy, that much is true," he said softly, taking her hand in his. "I really do want to set things right, but I know that's a near-impossibility. After I left you, I…" he trailed off, casting his eye to the floor. It took him a moment to collect himself, and when he looked her in the eye again, something somewhere inside of him shattered.

"I - I love you, Vay. I always have. I know you don't believe that, but I do. I really and truly do. It's taken me thirty years to realize it, that those feelings I had were more than just lust. I still don't know exactly what love is supposed to feel like, but if this isn't it, then it has to be the next best thing." Kirk decided that that would be the best time to shut up before he went too far. But then, he may have already gone too far. In the silence that followed, he kept his eye on Vay's, watching as his words sank in.

Vay just stared at him. After what seemed like an eternity, she spoke. "Goddamn you, Kirk."

Shocked at this response, Kirk paled. He let go of her hand and backed away.

"Why do you always do this to me?" Vay whispered, then louder: "Why, goddamn you?"

"What? What did I do?"

Vay sprang to her feet. "You know exactly what you did! You said those same exact words thirty years ago! You told me you loved me, and you made me feel like it was true! That I was the center of your universe! Your reason for living! You made me feel the same way about you! And then you - you — " Vay growled in frustration, unable to coherently express her rage. She saw the rum bottle on the table where she'd set it and picked it up, swinging it threateningly over her head. Kirk backed away further till he fell off the couch. Seeing the terrified look on his face, Vay dropped the bottle and turned away.

"Goddamn you, Kirk," she said again, sounding tired. "I can't even bash your brains out like I want to."

Kirk saw an opportunity and seized it. "I thought you said I didn't have any brains?" he said slyly.

"No. I said you were still thinking with your crotch, but a lot of good that'll do either of us if I took it out on you there." Her back was still turned to him, and her voice was monotone. Kirk had no idea what she was thinking or feeling at that moment, but just for safe measure he crossed his legs.

"Look, Vay. I'm s— "

"No. I don't want to hear it," she said sternly. She glanced back over her shoulder at him. "I'm not letting you hurt me again." Her voice was frail and quiet when she said this, and the cold chill it gave off made Kirk shiver.

"I never meant to hurt you," he said.

"Well too late," she growled, starting toward the door. "If you knew anything about love, you'd know that it means never having to say you're sorry. If you really loved me, you wouldn't have done what you did."

Kirk stood up slowly, his eye still cast to the floor. His voice cracked as he replied, "I always thought that old adage was a two way street. If love means never having to say you're sorry, it doesn't just mean that you wouldn't do anything to hurt the one you love. It also means that you should be forgiving."

There was an uncomfortable silence, then Vay turned slowly and looked at Kirk.

"I can never forgive you."

Kirk's hearts shattered with those words. Suddenly he didn't care about anything anymore. "Fine, then," he growled. "But _I_ forgive _you_."

Vay cast him a smoldering look. "Forgive me? For what! _You're_ the one who wronged _me_!"

Kirk cringed at the sharpness in her voice. He almost looked like he was fighting back tears. "Yes, I wronged you, and I can't even begin to make up for that. But you wronged me, too. I told you the truth, Vay. I bared my heart and soul to you. You, the only person I've ever loved, and you spurned me. You have no idea how much that hurts. But I forgive you. Because that's what love is all about. And I do love you, Vay. Believe it or not. I don't care anymore." Kirk sighed loudly at the end of his speech, and the sigh turned into a sob. He quickly cut it off before Vay could hear it. He bit his lip and looked away. His eye was suddenly too moist.

When he looked up again, Vay was standing before him. Her expression was almost unreadable, but he could swear that the anger was gone. They gazed unblinking into each other's eye for a long moment, glimpsing each other's soul.

"Kirk…" Vay whispered, lifting a hand up to touch his shoulder. An almost magnetic force drew them together just then, and before either one realized it, their lips had met in a deep and passionate kiss.


	10. Rude Awakenings

CHAPTER TEN:  
RUDE AWAKENINGS

Shafts of golden sunlight sliced through the dark cloud of sleep that hazed Vay's half-opened eye. Squinting it tightly shut, she lifted a hand up to rub her face and felt it brush against something warm. She blinked furiously until the sleep haze had dissipated. When her eye finally focused, she remembered where she was.

She was lying on a small foldout bed aboard Kirk's ship, with Kirk himself lying right beside her. He was still asleep. Vay sat up. The blankets slid down from her chest and she realized she was naked. Memories from the night before came flooding back to her._ Damnit, Vay. Look what you've gotten yourself into! You have no self-respect at all, do you? Just hop in bed with the first guy who comes along. You are such a slut, but you don't even care._ Her battle of conscience went on for a minute or two, oblivious to the fact that Kirk was beginning to wake up.

"Mornin,' babe," he yawned, startling her. He stretched luxuriously and smiled up at her. Vay stared back at him. It took her a moment to notice that he wasn't making eye contact with her. When she realized what he was looking at, she grabbed the blanket and pulled it up over her chest.

"Morning," she mumbled. _Damnit Vay, don't blush!_

"Hey, what's wrong?" Kirk asked, looking concerned.

"Nothing. I just… I just can't believe what happened last night."

"You don't regret it, do you?"

"I don't know. Do you?"

"Not even for a second. I told you I love you, Vay, and I mean it."

Vay looked away, pretending to comb her hair with her fingers. "Love and sex are two totally different things. I love Wendy with all my heart, but… And then I've had relations with men I despised. You get what I'm saying?"

Kirk sat up a little and put a hand on her arm. "Yeah, I do. But I don't regret it, and I'm not retracting what I said. I love you, and I want to be in your life again."

Vay gave a half-hearted chuckle and looked at him. "You mean you want to have sex with me again. Right?"

Kirk blushed and shrugged. "Well, yeah. That too. But that's only the icing on the cake, babe. I want the whole enchilada!"

Vay chuckled again. "All this talk about food is making me hungry. What time is it? We've probably missed breakfast."

Kirk grinned. "And all this talk about sex is making me h— " Vay silenced him with a pillow in the mouth. Kirk spat the pillow out and grumbled, "I was gonna say hungry."

Vay started to climb out of bed, but Kirk hooked an arm around her and pulled her back down. "Where do you think you're going?" he purred.

"I'm _going_ to neuter you if you don't let me go in three seconds. One, t — " Her words were muffled as Kirk sealed his mouth over hers. For a moment Vay yielded, returning the kiss twofold and savoring the taste. Then her more sensible side took control and slapped him across the face. Kirk broke the kiss and looked hurt. Vay softened a little at that and lifted her hand to his face again. He cringed, but she did not hit him. Instead, she caressed his cheek.

Kirk relaxed under her touch and snuggled in close to her. Vay purred contentedly as he nuzzled and nipped at her neck, slowly but surely working his way downward. She tried half-heartedly to push him away, but passion got the best of both of them and she surrendered to her own desires as well as his.

_God, why am I doing this? _Vay demanded of herself. _The man doesn't even deserve a moment of my time, and here I am giving him what every guy wants most. _

She felt Kirk's lips and hands exploring private property beneath the blanket and bit her lip to suppress an ecstatic whimper._ …And taking what I want in return. _

A few moments later he resurfaced, a lusty gleam in his eye as he rose above her prostrate form_. Oh Lord, why?_

She felt one of his legs rub against her own and shuddered at the tingling feeling it created between them. She smiled seductively and pulled him down on top of her. _Why not?_

They kissed again, longer and deeper than before, until the heat of their passion caused them to melt into each other. It was time.

"Oh. My. God."

Vay and Kirk both bolted up in bed at the sound of a familiar voice. At the threshold of the forward hatch, which had been left open all night, stood Gidgel, looking paler than death.

"_PLEASE_ tell me I'm not seeing this."

Kirk made a small sound like a sob and grabbed the blanket, pulling it up to his chest as if he had something to hide. A moment later Vay did the same, blushing furiously as her brother continued to stare unblinking at the two of them. He seemed to be in a trance. When he finally broke free of it, his face twitched and he said calmly, "Excuse me. I'm going to go bleach my eye out now and then have myself committed. Sorry I disturbed you. Have a nice day." And with that he turned, very stiffly, eye still bulging, and trudged down the ramp and out of the ship.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

(Stops to gasp for breath) Phew! What an update! And for all my hard work, I humbly request a few meager reviews. Plllleeeeeaaaaazzzzze? Anyone? Reviews? Hellooooooo? I'm not talking to myself here. C'mon! You know you wanna give me a review! After those last couple of chapters, you all must have SOMETHING to say! (wink wink) I feed on reviews, even flames, if necessary, though I don't care too much for junk food (tee-hee!).


	11. Shameless

CHAPTER ELEVEN:  
SHAMELESS

Pleakley was pouring syrup over his wife's pancakes when Gidgel limped, wide-eyed and rigid, through the back door.

"Found your mother," he mumbled, taking a seat at the table beside Leera. He stared blankly at his plate, drowning his thoughts in the amber sea of syrup that covered his breakfast.

"Where was she?" Pleakley asked. Gidgel didn't reply. He didn't even look up. "Uncle Gidgel?" This time he responded.

"Huh?"

"I said, where was she?"

"Oh. Uh… outside." Vague though his answer was, Pleakley accepted it and sat down on Leera's other side. "Did you tell her breakfast was ready?"

Gidgel shook his head, eye never once flitting from his plate. Leera noticed and said, "Your pancakes are getting cold, Uncle Gidgel. Are you going to eat them or just sit there admiring them?" His eye turned toward her and she smiled. "I think you'll enjoy them better if you eat them."

"You're probably right," he sighed, reaching for the condiments at the center of the table. His hand found the pepper shaker and he absently began to sprinkle it over his breakfast. Pleakley stared but didn't say anything. Leera opened her mouth to say something but stuffed a large bite of pancake into it instead. Pleakley's silence continued until his uncle raised a peppered pancake-laden fork to his lips and swallowed that first bite without so much as a wince.

"Oooookaaaaaaaaaaay. I'm just gonna go get Mom myself then. Her breakfast is already cold and I'm — "

"NO!" Gidgel shouted, finally snapping out of his trance. He dropped his fork and jumped up from his seat. "No. You don't want to do that."

Pleakley cocked his brow suspiciously. "Why not?"

Gidgel fumbled for an answer. "Because… because she said she'd be up soon and… and that she wasn't hungry." _Not hungry for pancakes, anyway._

"Alright, but I need to talk to her anyway. Where is she?"

Gidgel cast about for an answer and settled for the truth. Or at least a portion of it. "Out in Kirk's ship."

"What's she doing out there?"

At this, Gidgel felt something drop into the pit of his stomach, and it wasn't the pancakes. "Uh… talking. Just talking."

"Well, _I _want to talk to her now. I'm going to get her. Be right back." And Pleakley was out the door before Gidgel could protest.

He met his mom halfway between the ship and the house. Her hair was wild, and she was still in her nightgown, but Pleakley thought nothing of it. Vay took note of this and sighed inwardly with relief. It was bad enough that Gidgel had found out. Kirk followed Vay at a safe distance, trying to look as innocent as possible.

"Mom, you missed breakfast," Pleakley told her. "I made pancakes. There's only one left now, and it's cold, but I can make you some more if you want."

"Thanks, sweetie, but I'll just have some toast or cold cereal this morning. I'm really not that hungry." Vay cast a sideways glance at her brother as she passed him. Gidgel looked away, and she thought she saw him blush. She knew she ought to have been blushing too, at the least out of courtesy. After all, it wasn't the first time he had walked in on her. The first time had been much more awkward, even horrifying, for Vay and Gidgel both. They had both been 19 when it happened; both still living together in the little house they had inherited from their parents. Gidgel had come home early from work one evening to find Vay and Kirk in the throes of passion. And he spent the next several weeks kicking himself for it.

After all, he should have had his first clue when he'd seen Kirk's ship parked out front. He should have had some suspicions when he'd found the trail of discarded clothes that led to his sister's room. And he definitely should have gotten the picture when he'd heard the sound of panting and moaning behind her bedroom door before he'd pushed it open.

After that day, nothing about Vay surprised him anymore. Not her mechanical skills, not her fighting prowess, not her ferocity, not even her choice in entering into the universe's oldest profession for the sake of her baby. But having walked in on her a second time, though in a considerably tamer situation, he'd found more than enough reason to be shocked, if not downright ashamed, for her and for himself.

Back inside the house, Vay excused herself to the guest room to change and Pleakley started cleaning up in the kitchen. Nani was already at work and Lilo at school. Stitch was out somewhere playing with some cousins and Jumba was sleeping in. Leera had already finished breakfast and gone to take a bath. This left Kirk and Gidgel alone on the back porch.

Kirk stood nervously looking at his feet, pretending he didn't feel the heat of Gidgel's glare burning like the summer sun on the back of his neck.

"So what's the holdup?" Gidgel said, so suddenly that he startled Kirk.

Kirk looked at him questioningly. "Huh?"

"Just wondering what you're waiting for this time," Gidgel said casually, folding his arms and leaning against the doorframe. "Ya got whatcha wanted, didn't you? So now you'll be taking off again for another thirty years, right?"

Kirk just frowned, clearly not catching the drift Gidgel was so clearly sending him. "What're you getting at?" he demanded.

Gidgel snorted and rolled his eye. "Don't play dumb with me. I saw you. And don't even bother telling me it's not what it looked like."

"Fine. I won't. It's none of your business anyway," Kirk grumbled, turning to go back to his ship.

"That's good. Leave right now and don't come back till Wendy's baby is having a baby. That's a good idea. Best one you've had since… ever." Kirk stopped in his tracks, but did not turn around. He couldn't tell whether Gidgel was being sarcastic or sincere. Knowing him, he'd wager on a little of both. After a moment's hesitation, he continued walking back to his ship. He was at the ramp when he heard Gidgel call out again. "I wouldn't shift that thing into hyper drive if I were you!"

This time Kirk turned and looked at him. "Why not?"

Gidgel smirked a little as he hobbled down the steps. "Judging from the sound of your kyrizhtecline converter on the way over here, I had a feeling it'd need a little adjustment, otherwise you won't even be able to escape this planet's atmosphere."

Kirk smirked back at him. "Don't tell me: you're the only qualified mechanic on this entire planet who can fix it, but you're not going to because…?"

"Oh, no! I already fixed it! You can leave any time you want."

Kirk frowned at him suspiciously. "Well - thanks. I guess." He looked back at his ship, then back at Gidgel. "So what'd that cost me?"

"Absolutely nothing."

This only made Kirk all the more suspicious. He shook his head and looked back at his ship again. "I know there's a catch here somewhere. There has to be. You mechanics are all alike. If I didn't know you personally I still wouldn't trust you."

Gidgel just shrugged. "Hey, it was a very simple adjustment. Only took ten minutes of my time. Big deal."

"Thanks," Kirk said flatly, "but I'm not very comfortable about receiving charity."

"You were obviously comfortable enough with Vay's charity," Gidgel said in a tone too light for its implications. "Seeing as how you took full advantage of it."

Kirk growled and walked up the ramp into his ship.

"Aloha!" Gidgel shouted from outside. "Have a safe trip, and remember what I said about the hyper drive!"

At this, Kirk tipped his head out and glared down at Gidgel. "What about it? I thought you said you fixed it."

"No, I said I fixed the kyrizhtecline converter. That has nothing to do with the hyper drive. Anyone who's ever done their own lube job would know that."

Kirk growled again, but didn't bother telling him he'd always had his ship serviced professionally. And he certainly wasn't about to tell him that he didn't know a xeron bearing from a dipstick.

"Okay. But what about the hyper drive? What's wrong with that?"

Gidgel shrugged. "I just wouldn't use it if I were you."

"Well then how the hell am I supposed to make it out of that wormhole in the beta-zenj quadrant? I won't even be able to make it to Saturn before my reserve fuel cells burn out."

"I just figured you valued your life enough to want to avoid being fried at the speed of light and then disintegrated into a zillion pieces."

"And why should that happen?" Kirk demanded, walking back down the ramp. Gidgel's innocent smile was enough to make him understand. "Alright, what did you do to my ship? What in Blitznak did you do?"

"I told you: I fixed your kyrizhtecline converter. That's it."

But now Kirk was furious. "If you sabotaged my ship I can have you arrested for attempted murder! I've got plenty of friends in high places who'll gladly take my side on this."

Gidgel was unmoved by this threat. "I'm sure."

"To hell with you," Kirk growled, turning to go back up the ramp. "I'm calling my own mechanic. A competent, professional, trustworthy mechanic." Less than a minute later Kirk came bolting back down the ramp, just barely restraining himself from tackling Gidgel.

"What the hell did you do to my communications console! The entire system is screwed up!" Gidgel's serene smile pushed him over the edge. "That's it. I'm getting my plasma cannon. And because you're a cripple, I'm giving you a ten second head start. One, two — ten!"

In a blur and a bright flash of green, Kirk yanked his cannon from his belt so quickly that it slipped from his hands, tumbled through the air, hit the ground a few feet away and discharged, firing a projectile at the side of his ship. When the smoke had cleared from the gaping hole, Gidgel took a look through it and tsk-tsked the way mechanics do; the kind of tsk-tsk that tells you a simple tune-up has just turned into a complete overhaul.

"Well, it looks like you don't have to worry about the hyper drive anymore," he said.

"What in Blitznak is going on out here!"

Both men wheeled around at the sound of Vay's voice. Kirk wasted no time pointing the finger at her brother.

"It's all _his_ fault! He sabotaged my ship, and then he made me discharge my cannon and…" he trailed off, gesturing at the unsightly crater.

Vay frowned at Gidgel. _"Sabotaged?"_

Gidgel chuckled helplessly. "I didn't do a damn thing to it."

"Oh yes you did!" Kirk growled, picking up his cannon and placing it back in its holster. "You said you fixed the kyrizhtecline converter, and then you said something about my hyper drive — "

"What!" Vay interrupted. "This ship doesn't have a kyrizhtecline converter! Only Glaznin Rovers have those. Gidgel knows that. He was obviously just playing mind games with you. Trying to syke you out. You know how he is." She punched her brother's arm playfully, but he still winced a little.

"Yeah, well, his little mind game just cost me my hyper drive. Look at it! I can't go anywhere now. I'm stuck here till I get a new one."

"That won't take too long. We're going to be here for a few weeks, anyway. Until after the baby's born. Why would you want to leave so soon?"

Kirk looked at the ground. "I don't," he muttered, "but the feeling that I'm not welcome here is getting a little too strong. Besides, I've already messed things up with you and Wendy. It's probably best I leave before I make things worse."

Vay reached a hand out to him, but thought better of it. "You didn't mess anything up. Wendy has his own reasons to be mad at you, most of them unreasonable, but that doesn't mean he won't come to like you in time. And what happened last night…" she trailed off, glancing sideways at Gidgel before pressing on. "Well, that was a mistake on my part too. I'm just as much to blame for it as you are. And it wasn't exactly a mistake, depending on how you look at it."

Kirk looked up at her suddenly.

Vay smiled impishly. "Don't read into that too much. I ain't promising a round two."

Gidgel saw the secretive look that passed between them and groaned in disgust. "I swear, if either of you had any self-respect… I mean, what if Wendy found out? I'd say, there goes Kirk's last chance of getting on his good side."

"He doesn't have to know about it. It was just a one-time thing, and it won't happen again." Vay noticed the sheer look of disappointment on Kirk's face when she said this and grinned. "Unless you make sure the door's closed next time."

Gidgel groaned again. "Did I tell you Wendy almost found out? For real?" Vay and Kirk both looked at him in mild surprise. "That's right. Twice, in fact. He was going to go out looking for you this morning, but I told him I'd do it so he could stay in and finish cooking breakfast. And last night. He went looking for you when the movie started, but I guess he didn't bother to check the ship. I dunno. But really, if he _does_ find out — "

"He is _not _going to find out," Vay interrupted.

"Who's not going to find out what?" a voice asked, and the three Plorginarians looked up to see Pleakley approaching.

Kirk's face flushed and panicked words tumbled from his mouth, strung together like a string of pearls. "Nothing! Nobody's nothing! Nothingtofindout! Nothing'shappenedandnobodyhadsexlastnightIswearit!"

Vay and Gidgel gasped and Pleakley just stared at him blankly. "Excuse me?"

Kirk opened his mouth again but Vay slapped a hand over it before another sound came out. She looked at her son, hand still over Kirk's big mouth.

"It's nothing really, Wendy. Kirk says a lot of stupid things without thinking. Don't you, Kirk?" The tone of her voice and the look she gave him just then made Kirk swallow hard. He nodded and she dropped her hand from his mouth. He took a deep breath as though she had been suffocating him and nodded again, this time forcing himself to meet his son's eye.

"Yes, we were just talking last night. Nothing else." Kirk flinched from the threatening glare Vay shot at him just then.

Pleakley looked at his mother questioningly. "You were out here all night? But I thought…" he trailed off, then the light of understanding dawned on his face and his eye went wide with horror. "Oh. My. God."

Kirk paled. Even Vay paled a little. Pleakley looked back and forth at the two of them, and they both saw the degrees of horror on his face increasing.

"You didn't! Oh Bluzark, please tell me you didn't — excuse me," Pleakley said, turning away. "I think I'm gonna be sick." And he ran back into the house, slamming the door behind him.


	12. Pregnant Pauses

CHAPTER TWELVE:  
PREGNANT PAUSES

Needless to say, Pleakley kept himself very busy for the next few hours, scrubbing the house spotless just so he wouldn't have to face his parents. How could he face either of them when the very thought of it conjured up haunting mental pictures of his own mother in bed with that man? It nearly made him sick to his stomach. He hadn't been so mortified since the day Leera told him she'd been raped. Or when he'd found out that Vay had once stooped to turning tricks just to keep him alive. Of course, this was nothing like those times, nowhere near as horrifying when you stopped to think about it, but for some reason it sure felt that way.

He hadn't realized it, but Vay, Kirk, and even Gidgel had been keeping their distance from him. They all knew something of the shock he was in, and decided it best to just let him alone to deal with it in his own way until at least some of that shock wore off. Leera hadn't heard the confrontation outside, but she'd seen her husband slamming the back door and rushing past her to either the bathroom or their bedroom. She wasn't sure which, and she didn't bother to check on him. Somehow she knew too that it would be best to give him a little space for the time being, and that most likely she would get a more detailed explanation for his behavior from Vay.

Outside, under a canopy of palm fronds, she found Vay and Gidgel sitting in a hammock and Kirk perched on the top step that led up to it. They all seemed strangely subdued, but they all looked up when they heard her approach. Heavy with her unborn child, Leera waddled up the steps of the wooden platform underneath the hammock. Seeing her struggle, Kirk stood up and offered his hand, helping her up.

"Thank you," she panted.

Vay climbed out of the hammock. "Come take a load off your feet," she said, surrendering her seat to her daughter-in-law. With some difficulty (and help), Leera managed to get into the hammock. Gidgel moved down to one end of it, giving Leera extra space to stretch herself out and lay down.

"I'd forgotten how cozy this thing is," Leera sighed. "I think I could fall asleep on it."

Vay sat down next to Kirk, though not close enough so as to invite anything more than casual, platonic conversation. A moment later, Leera's sharp intake of breath drew the attention of the other Plorginarians. Gidgel, who was nearest, leaned over her and asked, "What is it? What hurts?"

Leera lifted her head up to look at him levelly and wrapped an arm around her lower abdomen. "Nothing. It was just — the baby kicked just now. Really hard. It didn't hurt so much as it surprised me." Though she sounded calm, her face was tightened with a pained look, and she did not meet Gidgel's eye.

Vay stood next to the hammock. "You sure you're alright, then? You don't exactly look comfortable in this hammock. Do you want to get down?"

Leera shook her head. "No. I'm fine. But I'd like to just stay and rest for a few minutes. It's nice right here, and it was hard enough just climbing into this thing, so I think I'll stay for a while. You guys don't mind, do you?"

"Of course not," Gidgel said before Vay could. "The more, the merrier. So just kick back and relax."

Leera winced a little and laid back in the hammock. "Speaking of 'kick,'" she muttered, "baby's having a field day."

Gidgel was still hovering over her. He held a hand out, palm down, over her belly. "May I?" he asked, and she nodded, taking his hand and guiding it to where the baby's movements were strongest. Leera winced a little when it kicked again, and Gidgel's face mirrored hers.

"Wow! This kid's pretty powerful. I don't remember Wendy ever kicking like that."

Vay leaned in close and put a hand out to feel for the baby too. "Wow is right! Yeah, Wendy hardly ever moved, and especially not like that. He'd lay still for days at a time. Sometimes I was worried that he…" she trailed off, here eye locking with Leera's. "Of course, he wasn't the healthiest baby, but it feels like this one's going to be." She smiled warmly at her daughter-in-law. Leera smiled back, her eye drifting past Vay to Kirk, who was sitting a few feet away on the step.

"Would you like to feel, too, Mr. Skirmish?"

Kirk looked like he had been struck by lightning. "Really? You'd let me?"

"Of course. It's your grandchild, too."

Kirk opened his mouth again, but for once he found himself speechless. A moment later he was standing beside Vay, letting Leera take his hand and direct it to the right spot. When he felt the kick, he gasped and quickly pulled his hand out from under hers.

"Wow," he muttered, staring in amazement at where his hand had been. "Wow."

Leera held her hand out to him. "Here. You can feel it turning over right here."

Hesitantly, he let her take his hand again. This time he willed himself to keep it in place. The look on his face as he felt the stirring of new life within was a mixture of fear and fascination. When he looked up at Leera, he pulled his features into a smile for her. "I've never done this before," he confessed, hoping his face didn't look as flushed as it felt. "It's amazing. And — beautiful." Leera returned his smile.

Then she remembered why she'd come outside. She looked at Vay, "I was going to ask you… what's up with Wendy this morning? He seems upset about something."

"He didn't tell you?"

"I didn't ask."

"Oh." Vay glanced around at Kirk and Gidgel as though searching for a clue. "Well, let's just say he found out something he wasn't supposed to know about."

"Oh?" Leera looked at her mother-in-law curiously. Vay blushed slightly. Kirk blushed too and backed away to his seat on the step.

"Well, what happened was, I spent the night with Kirk last night and — Wendy's not too happy about that."

For a moment there, Leera's face mirrored Pleakley's previous shock. "Oh," was all she said, but she was obviously not upset by this revelation. A little stunned, but definitely not appalled like her husband was. "So, what, now he's not talking to you or what?"

"I'm not sure," Vay replied. "But I have a feeling he's going to hold the bigger grudge against Kirk. Right now I'm just giving him his space and some time to come to terms with what happened."

"He didn't walk in on you guys, did he?" Leera asked.

"No," Vay replied, glancing at Gidgel. "He just overheard us talking about it."

Leera looked down at her belly. "Humm. Well, I think he'll get over it fairly quickly. He's just such a drama queen at times. Like all of life's a soap opera or something. And I don't think he'd ever hold anything against you, Mom. He loves you too much."

Vay swelled with pleasure hearing Leera call her Mom. She'd only just started using that title for her mother-in-law about six months ago, on her wedding day. Before that it had been just Vay, and before that it had been Miss Pleakley.

"I do wish he'd stop being so cold to his dad. I mean, if you can forgive him, then why can't he?"

Vay sighed and shrugged. Kirk looked at Leera with an appreciative smile.

"I don't blame him," he said. "I'd hate my guts too if I were my father and I'd done to me what I'd done to him. Wait… did that make sense?"

Leera giggled and nodded. "Well, I've only known you for one day and I don't think you're all that bad. I can even kinda see where Wendy gets it from."

Kirk looked at her curiously. "Define '_it_.'"

This time Leera blushed. "Oh, well… '_it' _actually covers a lot of things. Mostly things I don't think he got from his mom."

Kirk grinned impishly. "You mean his rugged sensuality and manly charm?"

Leera laughed. "No. I mean his fragile sensitivity and feminine charm!" Vay and Gidgel laughed, too. Kirk looked puzzled and somewhat embarrassed.

"And you think he got that from me?"

Leera smiled, looking fondly at her belly while giving it an affectionate stroke. "He certainly got something good from someone," she purred, and though one couldn't be absolutely certain of what she was implying, it was enough to make both Vay and Kirk reconsider each other for a moment.

"Oh!" Leera gasped, holding her belly tight. "I think Baby agrees with that. Wowie, that was a sharp one."

"Still kicking?" Vay asked. Leera nodded.

"It's a bit lower this time. Down here," she said, rubbing her lower abdomen. Vay and Gidgel both felt it in turn, but Kirk stayed back. Leera noticed this.

"You can feel, too, if you want, Mr. Skirmish. You don't have to wait for an invitation. Come feel."

Kirk's smile was a relieved one. He stepped up to the hammock again and gingerly touched her belly. The baby's movements were slower but still strong, and in its new position, every little movement could be seen as well as felt. Kirk beamed with pleasure when he felt his grandchild move. He felt it move away from where his hand was and he slid his hand down further to find it again. It took him a moment to realize that his hand was now at the underside of her belly, just above the pelvic region. He blushed and started to pull his hand away.

"It's alright," Leera assured him, and his hand stayed, seeking out the gyrations of the restless baby within. Leera sat up a little and said, "Put your head right here. You might be able to hear it's heartbeats."

Kirk obeyed and laid his head gently against her belly, next to his hand. A few seconds passed before his eye lit up with excitement. "I hear it! That's incredible!" He pressed himself a little closer to hear better.

"What the hell— ?"

Kirk yanked himself away from Leera's belly just as Pleakley came storming up the steps toward the hammock. He backed up to the edge of the platform, trying to keep a safe distance between himself and his irate son. Not that that did any good. When Pleakley reached the platform, he got right in Kirk's face as he demanded to know what he had been doing to his wife.

Vay grabbed her son's arm and gave it a firm tug backward. "Wendy! You're being ridiculous! Kirk didn't do anything to Leera that she didn't allow him to do! And Gidgel and I were here the whole time! Do you really think we'd let him try anything like that?"

Pleakley yanked his arm out of her grasp and just stared at her, his face hard to read as several emotions fought for dominance on it. Then he looked at Leera, and his expression was clearly incredulous. "You let him touch you like that?"

"Like what?" Leera asked calmly. "He was just feeling the baby kick and listening to its heartbeats. What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing," Pleakley admitted, "But that's not what it looked like from where I was standing."

"What did you think he was doing?" Leera demanded before she realized she already knew the answer. "Never mind."

"Well, I still don't trust him," Pleakley said to her, but quite loud enough for Kirk to hear him too. Either he didn't notice the sudden hurt look on Kirk's face, or he didn't care. "Especially after last night." These words he spoke directly toward Kirk, glaring straight at him as he did so.

"What happened last — ," Leera started, but realized she knew the answer to that one too. "Never mind."

Pleakley looked at her suddenly, a slight hint of panic on his face. "Did Mom tell you?" he squeaked. She nodded. He groaned.

"Now you know what I mean about not trusting this man. He's — "

"Wendy," Vay interrupted, and the tone of her voice made his own voice die in his throat. "This really has to stop, you know. You can't just go on hating his guts for the rest of your life."

"Wanna bet?"

"Look, you're not even giving him a chance. It's like you're desperately trying to find more things to hold against him. And you know what? It's pathetic. If anyone has any reason to be mad at Kirk, it's me, and I'm not mad at him. But right now I'm mad at you. Every blow you aim at Kirk hurts me, too. I've come to forgive him, so why can't you?" Her words softened to a near whisper at the end of her speech, and she glanced over at Leera, whose simple words had inspired it.

After a long moment in which he appeared to be struggling with himself, Pleakley spoke. "How? How can you forgive him, Mom? Has he paid you back for all the money and work it cost to take care of me? Or did he just give you a simple verbal apology and that's enough for you?" His words were sharp, but Vay let them slide.

She sighed. "It's complicated, but I have my reasons to forgive him."

Pleakley snorted and looked away. "So he was _that good _last night."

Furious, Vay jerked her hand back as though she was going to slap him, but Gidgel was closer. With surprising strength, he grabbed Pleakley's arm and twisted it, throwing him to the floor of the platform. Pleakley landed on his stomach and immediately flopped over on his back, expecting a second attack. His uncle stood over him, holding up an odd yet dangerous looking tool he had pulled from his belt. Pleakley recognized it as something he often used to cut through the steel hulls of wrecked ships to salvage parts that were otherwise only reachable if the ship was completely disassembled. He knew it had other uses, too. He cringed, terrified of what his uncle could do with such a tool. He had never seen him so angry.

"Don't you EVER talk to your mother like that again,"Gidgel growled through gritted teeth. Pleakley shuddered. He couldn't stand the burn of his uncle's glare so he looked away, only to lock eyes with his mother. Vay just stared at him, her eye wide and moist, as though she were about to cry. Her expression was the picture definition of 'stunned.' And stunned she was: stunned by what her own son had said, and stunned by her brother's fierce defensiveness on her behalf.

Pleakley couldn't stand it anymore. Blitznak, what was he doing? He couldn't go on like this. But things had been so perfect before Kirk had come along, and everyone was blaming _him_? It was unreal. But he couldn't deny it any longer. He'd hurt his mother far worse than he ever thought he could hurt someone he loved. Sure, there was always room for mistakes, but what he'd done was hardly a mistake. No. He'd _wanted_ to hurt her, wanted to make her feel, just for a moment, the pain he'd been feeling himself… the pain he'd thought had been _her_ doing… when all along it was the very pain he had been inflicting on himself.

Pleakley climbed to his feet and, ignoring his wife's pleas, ran sobbing back into the house.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Hurray for updates! And hurray for tension! This is turning into a regular soap opera, isn't it, folks? Inner turmoil XD YUMMY! I just hope I'm not driving my readers off with all the angst. Don't worry. It's about to turn around. I think I'm on another roll here, so hopefully I'll have at least one more chapter up by the end of this week. Of course, I'm not making any promises, because I don't even trust myself to keep them!

BIG thankies to all my readers for your generous reviews! You have no idea how rewarding reviews are to me. Although I can't help wondering what happened to half my audience. I had a much larger following with the first "Pleakley's Story." Ah, well. Extra thanks to you all who have been keeping up with me and following my stories so avidly. I hope it's not too much of me to ask some of you to possibly give reviews for individual chapters, other than just reading the whole story so far and then just posting one brief review. I like to know what specifically makes you all laugh, cry, happy, angry, horrified, excited, etc. Or just what you thought about a particular chapter. Complaints and criticisms are welcomed also, of course. It can help me out in the future as I continue to write these stories.

Note to Spiritofdawolf: I have no idea what happened to your first post. I don't recall ever seeing it. Sorry. Also, I didn't understand your questions. If you want them answered, please try to clarify, and I will answer what I can up front without giving away future plotlines.

Note to mostextreameprincess: Based on what I've seen and heard in the series, and especially after the most recent episode, "Retro," I think I can safely say that Plorginarians do indeed have teeth.


	13. The Truce

CHAPTER THIRTEEN:  
THE TRUCE

Pleakley hated crying, even when he was alone and no one could see his tears. It just wasn't the _manly _thing to do. But then, what was so wrong with letting it all out once in a while? It couldn't be good for one's health to keep it all bottled up inside. And sometimes he didn't want to be alone. Things had been so much simpler when he was a child, and all he had to do was crawl into his mother's lap and she would wrap her arms around him and make the big mean universe go away. That option no longer existed. Not because he was an adult now and was expected to act like one. No. Under any other circumstances he knew she would have readily been there for him, an ever-soothing godlike presence who still had the power to make all the evils in the universe disappear while he was safe in her arms.

He knew it was all his fault. He had destroyed one of his last sanctuaries when he'd crossed the line and cut her with those words. Words sharpened to a dangerous point and tipped with poison. _So he was that good last night. _Treating his own mother as though she were some cheap whore, used to that abuse and well paid for it, too. God, why? His mother, the saint, the goddess, the woman he idolized… with a dark side he hadn't wanted to believe existed. Who was he to punish her for it? There were dark regions she never would have set foot in if it hadn't been for _him_. Because she loved him that much. He owed her everything, and she owed him nothing, and this was how he had repaid her?

_So he was that good last night. _The echo of those words were still ringing in his head, and no matter how loudly he cried he could still hear them. For the second time that day he felt sick to his stomach, disgusted with himself. Lord, could he ever look his mother in the eye again?

He heard the knob turn and the door to the bedroom open slowly. Luckily he was already facing the wall as he lay on the bed with his pillow over his head. He had no idea who had come in, but he lay still waiting for the other person to make the first move. The mattress behind him dipped slightly, and the soft breath he felt on the back of his neck was unmistakably Leera's. She laid a hand on his shoulder. "Wendy?"

Her voice was too soft, too tender. He was unworthy of her tenderness. He rolled over to face her and saw his mother's face in the doorway. He dropped his eye to the bedspread, fighting back the threat of more tears. _Damnit, don't cry! Not now! Not in front of them! _But it was too late. A large tear slid down his face, dampening the pillow. He couldn't hide it in time. Leera saw it and he was sure his mother saw it too. He sensed her stepping further into the room. Before he knew it she was sitting down on the bed next to him. Leera moved aside a little to make room for her. When he forced himself to make eye-contact with her, more tears streamed down his face.

"Oh, Mom, I'm so sorry," he sobbed, sitting up and reaching an arm out to embrace her. To his huge relief, she accepted him, returning his hug tenfold.

"It's okay, baby," she whispered against his cheek as she pressed a kiss to it. She began massaging his back with one hand while the other cupped the back of his head. These loving gestures were almost too much for Pleakley. He still felt he didn't deserve them, but it felt good beyond all reason to be accepting them at that moment.

"I love you, Wendy." Those four simple words pushed him over the edge, and he broke down completely in his mother's arms.

"I love you too, Momma. And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I never meant to — "

"Sssshhh. It's okay. I know you didn't mean it. You were just upset. I understand that, and I love you too much to care about something so petty. It just isn't worth it." Vay pulled back from the embrace to look her son in the eye. Pleakley was surprised to see that she had been crying too. She lifted a hand up to brush a tear from his face before leaning in to kiss him lovingly on the lips. Pleakley kissed her back, and it was the most beautiful thing he'd felt in a long time.

When the reconciliation was over, Pleakley noticed that Uncle Gidgel had entered the room and was now standing a few feet from the bed watching him. Pleakley's hearts skipped a beat or two at the sight of his uncle, a jolly, laidback man he had never before imagined could be so fierce. Gidgel's face tightened with pain and guilt, and he took a very cautious step toward his nephew.

"Wendy, I - I'm sorry I treated you like that. I guess I kind of lost it for a moment there. But that's still no excuse for what I did."

Pleakley shook his head. "No. I deserved it. You sure scared the gazooklups outta me, though." He gave a weak chuckle to show there were no hard feelings.

This time Gidgel shook his head. "No. I might have hurt you. That's something that shouldn't easily be forgiven, if at all. I just get the chills now when I realize that I could have seriously hurt you."

Pleakley got up from the bed and stood in front of his uncle. "Forget about it," he said firmly. "I deserved it, and besides, I could never stay mad at you either. You're like a father to me, and I… I…" he trailed off, blushing a little. Gidgel grinned and pulled him in for a hug.

"I love you too, bud," he chuckled, patting his nephew rather roughly on the back the way men do to other men. Over his uncle's shoulder, Pleakley saw Kirk standing at the threshold, just outside the room. The instant they made eye-contact Kirk broke off and dropped his gaze to the floor, looking ashamed. Pleakley wasn't sure, but he'd thought he'd seen a slight smile on his face.

He sighed deeply, letting go of his uncle and forcing his feet to walk him in the direction of the doorway. Kirk didn't look up until Pleakley was right in front of him. He had no idea what to expect from the boy, so he remained silent, biting his lip nervously. A rather awkward silence followed before Pleakley managed to muster up his courage and speak to him.

"I still don't know what to think about you," he said flatly, "but after the way I acted earlier, what you've done seems to pale in comparison. I've been given a second chance, so I guess you deserve one, too." He held out his hand. "Truce?"

Kirk could not help the huge smile that split his face just then. He took Pleakley's hand and shook it. "Truce."

"I'm still not calling you Dad," Pleakley told him, but in a tone light enough to let him know that that was not necessarily his final word on the matter.

"No problem," Kirk said, still just relieved to have been accepted thus far. "But you can call me Kirk if you want. I don't mind."

Pleakley appeared to be considering this. "How 'bout I just call you Mr. Skirmish instead of Mr. Scumbag?"

"Wendy!" Vay scolded.

Kirk laughed. "Hey, that's a major improvement!" he said. "I take it as a compliment!"


	14. Gidgel's Secret

CHAPTER FOURTEEN:  
GIDGEL'S SECRET

"Wendy, honey, couldja come in here a minute? I need some help with this dress."

"Coming!" Pleakley went into the bedroom to find Leera standing before the mirror, dress half on with her arms folded across her chest as she tried to keep the garment from slipping off.

"I can't quite reach the strings on the back. I just need you to tie it up for me."

"Alright." He started tying up the back of her dress.

Leera made a small sound like a sharp intake of breath and Pleakley stopped.

"Too tight?"

"A little, yeah."

"Hmm, well I can't really make it any looser. I'm nearly at the end of these strings already. I guess you're just too big to fit into this dress now. No offense, heh."

"None taken," Leera sighed despairingly. "Just go ahead and untie it and I'll find something else to wear. That is, if anything around here still fits me."

"I could always whip up something nice and roomy for you out of the curtains!" Pleakley chuckled, then paled from Leera's glare. "Heh, of course I do have some of that zendrin satin left over from that kimono I made you. It's turquoise. You still like turquoise, don't you?"

"I'd prefer something that breathes," Leera muttered, pulling off her dress. "And something that stretches better than this! I think I'm stuck now."

"Oh wait! I forgot to unlace this part here," Pleakley said. "Hold still, I'll get it."

A moment later the dress lay crumpled on the floor around Leera's feet. Pleakley blushed slightly at the sight of his wife, clad only in a small pink bikini top. Leera noticed him blushing and grinned.

"Honestly, Wendy. We've been married for six months now and you still look at me like you're new at this. It's cute, but it's kind of weirding me out. Are you okay?"

"Never been better," Pleakley replied. "I'm sorry, but it's hard _not _to look at you like that when you're as madly in love with the most beautiful woman in the universe as I am."

This time Leera blushed. "Aww, you're just saying that." She looked down at her belly. "I mean, how in Blitznak could anyone find me attractive when I'm as big around the middle as Jumba?"

"Are you kidding?" Pleakley said, sounding shocked. He reached out and drew her in close. "You're even more beautiful now than you ever were, and I watch you become more beautiful every day."

Won over by her husband's words, Leera melted in to him and tilted her face up to kiss him. He met her halfway, one hand caressing her belly as they shared a long, tender kiss. When it was over, they remained in each other's arms. Leera gazed lovingly into Pleakley's eye, basking in the love she saw reflected in it.

"Why are you so good to me?" she asked, in a voice barely above a whisper.

Pleakley shrugged. "Why not? I love you. And I always will."

"I love you, too," she replied, before leaning in to kiss him again.

"Whoa! Get a room, you two!"

Pleakley and Leera both spun around at the sound of a man's voice. Gidgel was standing out in the hallway, but the bedroom door was open just wide enough for him to see what was going on inside the room.

Pleakley immediately backed away from Leera, burning red with embarrassment. Leera just smiled and folded her arms across her chest.

"We've _got_ a room," she said smartly. "And this is it."

"Well, at least close the door before you guys… you know…"

"Hey, it's a liberal house," Leera replied. "Don't like, don't look." She took a green and pink muumuu Pleakley had handed her and pulled it on.

At this, Gidgel seemed to blush. "Hey, well, I'm not complaining here, but I think that out of courtesy for the faint of heart you two oughtta keep certain affairs behind closed doors."

Leera smirked. "Faint of heart? And who would that be?"

Gidgel shrugged. "Well, I don't wanna say _me_, but if I walk in on one more love-fest I think I'm gonna need a triple bypass or something."

"I don't think you'll have to worry about that, Uncle Gidge. If you could survive a kurtrizine reactor implosion, I'm sure you can handle a few more unpleasant surprises."

"Why? You got something else planned for me?" he asked slyly.

"Welllllllllll, I _was_ thinking of asking you to help out with the delivery, but if you don't think your poor little hearts can take it…"

"That depends. What exactly do you want me to do?"

"You can cut the umbilical cord. How's that sound?"

"Shouldn't Wendy be the one to do that?"

Leera laughed. "I doubt if he'll even be able to look while it's being done. Besides, he'll be too busy getting his patooki whipped for putting me through all this."

Pleakley gulped.

"Oh honey, I'm just kidding! You know that, right?"

Pleakley forced a smile. "Uh, right."

"Well anyway, it's time for lunch," Gidgel said. "Your mother and Kirk are fixing grilled cheese sandwiches and lemonade. Should be ready now."

In the kitchen, Pleakley, Leera, Kirk, Gidgel and Vay sat around the table and chatted over lunch. It wasn't long before the conversation turned to the baby and its upcoming birth.

"Well, I asked Uncle Gidgel if he wanted to cut the cord, but he didn't say," Leera was telling Vay.

"I just thought it would be best if the father did that," Gidgel conceded. "What do you think, Kirk?"

Caught off-guard by this question, Kirk fumbled for an answer. "Oh, uhhh— yeah! I think it's the least a father can do, short of delivering the baby himself. I'd a done the same thing if I'd been… well… never mind." He blushed and turned away a little to avoid Vay's eye. "Of course, I'm not one to talk," he added quietly.

"Damn straight you're not," Gidgel growled.

"Gidge, don't talk with your mouth full," Vay said.

"I'm not — " he protested, but before he could finish his sentence, Vay crammed half a sandwich into his mouth. Gidgel gagged a little, then chewed and swallowed it.

"Jeez, what was that for?"

"For being my brother."

Gidgel grumbled and took a large gulp of lemonade to wash the sandwich down. "Yeah. The same brother who tried to give you every last cent he had to help pay Wendy's medical bills."

"Oh, don't start that again!" Vay said. "You always make it sound like I begged you for that money, when you know damn well I didn't even ask once."

"I thought that was because you were just too proud to admit that you needed help."

"Well, I didn't."

"Oh? And I suppose you were just turning tricks for the fun of it? Puh-leaze, Vay, who are you trying to kid?" Gidgel demanded.

"Hey, it was easy work," Vay argued. "And it certainly paid a helluva lot better than my old desk job did, even after my promotion."

"Well, I could have just as easily sold my house and my ship for you, and I wouldn't have had to think twice about it."

"Well, _I_ didn't want you to have to worry about me. You needed the little money you had for school."

Gidgel snorted. "I didn't _need _to go to school right away. I could have put it off a year or two."

"Yes, but then you probably wouldn't have gotten your degree in time to go to work for the Federation's engineering department. You were lucky enough to get in when you did."

"True, but you really didn't need to resort to selling yourself like that. All you had to do was say the word, and I would have taken your place in that arena."

"Ahem! Do you mind? I'm trying to eat here," Pleakley grumbled.

Vay ignored him. She was too busy laughing at Gidgel's remark. "I don't doubt that at all! In fact, I'm kinda surprised you didn't. I'm sure you would have enjoyed it a lot more. Why, I bet you'd've done it for free if you weren't tight on funds yourself."

Gidgel looked offended. "Yeah, well… who wouldn't want to have a good-paying job that's also enjoyable? It would have been a small sacrifice, but totally worth it. You know I'd bend over backwards for you and Wendy."

"Yes, I know," Vay said, still chuckling. "And you _did_ bend over backwards that one time! I remember that very well." Vay grinned impishly at her brother and he responded with an indignant smirk.

Pleakley, Leera and Kirk, oblivious as to what this implied, stared curiously at the two.

"And what exactly did he do?" Kirk asked, looking very interested indeed. "Please don't spare all the juicy details."

"Oh, it was nothing, really," Gidgel said quickly, before Vay could respond. "I just — did a little shady moonlighting to help out with some medical bills. It was no big deal. Not even worth mentioning, really."

"Oh, I beg to differ," Vay purred. "Gidgel's just too embarrassed to talk about it, but I — "

"Ahem!" Gidgel cleared his throat loudly, giving Vay a threatening glare out of the corner of his eye which went unnoticed.

"I'll be right back," Vay said as she got up from the table. She disappeared into the guest room and came back a minute later with what looked like a large spiral notebook in her hand. She did not sit down again, but instead stood at the table between Leera and Kirk. She set the notebook down on the table between their plates. Pleakley leaned over by Leera to get a better look. On closer inspection, they realized it was a calendar, and a rather old one at that. The year on the cover said that it was 22 years old. When Gidgel saw it, he turned red.

"Aw, jeez, I can't believe you still have that!" he groaned, banging his head down on the table.

The text on the calendar's cover read _"Sexy Mechanics."_ Ignoring her brother's protests, Vay opened it and flipped through to Awldjeis, the equivalent of Earth's October. Lo and behold, there was Gidgel, 22 years younger but pretty much the same guy. He was stretched out on the hood of a dark red Muun-Zin cruiser, clad only in a utility belt. He was lean and buff, and his single eye seemed to say "I define the word '_sexy_.'" And to make the illusion complete, he was holding up a large, long, and dangerous-looking tool.

Pleakley, Leera and Kirk stared at the picture for a long time, then suddenly Kirk burst out laughing. Leera just smiled sweetly at Gidgel while Pleakley continued to stare at the picture. Gidgel stood up quickly and reached across the table for the calendar, but Vay pulled it away just in time. Kirk laughed even harder.

"Well, that's refreshing," Leera said, still smiling, albeit a little too brightly. "There must be an interesting story behind that."

"Oh, there _is_," Vay admitted, finally taking her seat beside her brother. She smiled wickedly at him, and he frowned and turned away, grumbling to himself. Ignoring this, Vay explained. "When Wendy was nine he caught the txacchioblerrus virus and got really sick. He might've died if he hadn't received the best medical treatment there was at the time. We had to go all the way to Turo to get it, and he ended up staying in a hospital there for about a week. I was making pretty good money by that time, but it still wasn't enough to take care of all the bills, so Gidgel snuck off and posed for this calendar behind my back and then gave me all the money he was paid for it. That was about 800 gliliix."

"Wow," Leera breathed.

"Yep. And he wouldn't even tell me where he got the money. I mean, first he made up some lame story about finding it in a wrecked cruiser he towed home, but I didn't buy it. Then he changed his story and claimed he'd just gotten a big bonus, but I didn't believe that, either. It wasn't until I went to visit him at work a few months later that I found out the truth. The calendar was hanging up right there in the garage, and it just happened to be Awldjeis, so it was open to his picture."

"Wow," Leera said again, looking at Gidgel in a new light. "What a guy. Gee, Wendy, I never realized you had such a sexy uncle! Hmm, but I guess it just runs in the family," she purred, nudging her husband playfully.

Nearby, Kirk snickered. Vay kicked him under the table and he stopped. Gidgel looked miserably around the table.

"Okay, okay. So I did something I'm not particularly proud of. Haven't we all?"

At this, Leera got up from the table and went over to him. "Maybe you're not proud of yourself for doing that, but I sure am." He looked at her in surprise and she smiled back, pecking him on the cheek.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Woo-hoo! What an update! What a super-duper SEXY update! Seriously, I think I had too much fun with this chapter. Anywho, big news to all me fans out there: I have mucho fan art for this fic, and it's all posted at Fanart Central. There are pics of all my fan characters, including Vay, Leera, Le'Kruune, and even Taisiya, the grand councilwoman's daughter (see original "Pleakley's Story.") I even have a picture of Gidgel from the "_Sexy Mechanics_" calendar! Check it out at Fanart Central. Apparently FFN doesn't allow links, so you'll just have to find the site on your own. Sorry about that. All my art is listed under my artist name, Nevuela. If you have any trouble finding my stuff, please let me know in reviews and I'll see what I can do to fix the problem.

Anyway, please drop by, have a look, and leave a comment! I'd really appreciate some feedback on my art as well as my story! Advance warning: Some of my fan art is rated NC-17 for nudity and/or sexual content. All pictures are clearly labeled with their individual rating and content, so you should know what you are going to see before you click on it.


	15. It's a Small World

FINALLY, after for-freaking-ever, I give you an update! SMYZZYX!

CHAPTER FIFTEEN:  
IT'S A SMALL WORLD

Saturday morning came with a bang. The sun and the residents of the Pelekai house were barely up when the news came. Two experiment pods had been activated. Lilo and Stitch were out the door before Nani could insist that they eat breakfast first. Vay, Kirk, Gidgel, and Pleakley were all still asleep. This left only Jumba and Leera to go after the two. As Jumba was just barely awake himself, and Nani had work in an hour, Leera volunteered to follow Lilo and Stitch and see to their safety.

There was a chilly mist in the air as Leera set out down the lush green trail following Stitch's tracks. She would gladly have taken the dune buggy if it weren't for the dense foliage and the narrowness of the trail. She moved at a brisk walk, panting heavily as she fought her way through bushes and low tree branches, acquiring a few scratches in the process. After a few minutes she emerged into a small clearing. Here she stopped to catch her breath and to take note of her surroundings. She spotted Stitch's fresh tracks in the damp earth, leading across the clearing and into an even denser-looking thicket on the other side.

Leera groaned. No way was she even about to _try_ to follow them in that mess! Getting her breath, she glanced about the clearing, looking for an opening. She was just about to resume her chase when a distant shout caught her attention. Straight ahead, in the direction the tracks led, she heard it again: a girl's angry shouts. Lilo. Another shout followed a moment later, this time in a man's deep baritone. Leera could not make out what they were shouting; they seemed so far away. For a fleeting moment she thought she recognized the man's voice, but just as suddenly she wondered who she could have been thinking of. The man shouted again, and all reasonable thoughts escaped her as the ground trembled and bushes rustled frantically on the other side of the clearing.

Without warning, Stitch sprang from the bushes. Leera was so taken by surprise that she didn't even have time to move aside. Stitch collided with her and knocked her over backward. She landed hard on her patooki and Stitch tumbled over her and rolled into a tree. The containment capsule he'd been carrying slipped from his paws and fell clattering against a rock, where it popped open. The experiments inside crawled out and, at the thunderous sound of approaching footsteps, scampered off into the underbrush. Leera caught a glimpse of them as they passed: a dark purple lizard with two heads and no back legs, and a silver-and-white striped fur ball that looked like a kitten with a scorpion's tail.

They'd just vanished from sight when a second, much larger body burst through the brush. Leera, still sitting on the ground where she'd fallen, stared up in awe at the twenty-foot-tall gray alien who was now standing in the clearing. He was lean and very muscular, and the blue shadows thrown by the early morning sun cast him in a dramatic light that made him look as though he had been sculpted out of stone. His two small eyes were as blue as the dawn sky. They glistened like little jewels as he cast them down upon the semi-conscious Stitch. A deep rumble rose from his throat and he bared his pointed teeth in an unmistakable sneer.

"Little trog! Where are the experiments?" He took a menacing step forward and noticed the empty containment capsule. He frowned. "You let them go?"

Suddenly alert, Stitch jumped to his feet and picked up one half of the capsule, turning it over and shaking it as though expecting something to fall out of it.

"Ih? Gaba gone?" He threw the capsule down and proceeded to bang his head against it. "Naga! Naga! Naga!"

"Stitch?" Lilo's voice called out from somewhere nearby. "Where'd you go?" A moment later she came running out of the bushes into the clearing, where she collided with Gantu's leg.

"Ih, cousins gone," Stitch said sadly as he held up the empty capsule half he'd been banging his head on and shook it again. Lilo glared up at Gantu and pointed a threatening finger at him.

"You big dummy! What'd you do with those 'speriments?"

"_I_ didn't do anything with them! I never got a chance to do anything with them, because your little trog set them loose!"

"He did not!" Lilo argued. "You _made_ him lose them!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did t— "

"HOLD IT! HOLD EVERYTHING!"

The party in the clearing looked as one toward the source of the interruption. Pleakley came skittering out of the bushes behind Leera and Stitch, coming to a stop beside his wife.

"Leera, what do you think you're doing out here, chasing after experiments this early in the morning! And in your condition! You could have at least put something warmer on." He looked her up and down. Leera felt perfectly comfortable in her sleeveless muumuu. "And _why_ are you sitting on the ground? _Germs!_" Pleakley squealed, grabbing her by the arms and pulling her roughly to her feet.

"Oh please, Wendy, stop being such a drama queen! It's just a little dirt, and you know, 'dirt don't hurt.'" But Pleakley wasn't listening. He was already stripping off the overcoat he was wearing over his pajamas. He started to drape it around Leera's shoulders, but she shrugged it off, saying, "No thank you. I'm fine. The hot flashes keep me warm enough. And so does the exercise, which is actually very good for someone 'in my condition.'" She said these last words in a mock airy tone that sounded very much like her husband.

"Well excuse me for caring," Pleakley muttered, obviously hurt as he pulled the overcoat back on. He looked up and noticed Gantu. "Oh, great." Then, to Leera: "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

Leera looked puzzled. "Why would he hurt me?"

"Well, get in his way when he's after one of Jumba's experiments, he's not gonna ask you kindly to move aside."

Meanwhile, Lilo and Gantu had resumed their argument.

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Big dummy!"

"Vile Earthling!"

"Excuse me," Leera said loudly, calling their attention, "but would anyone mind telling me what in Blitznak is going on here? Lilo, who is this man? And what does he have to do with Jumba's experiments?"

"His name's Gantu, and he wants the 'speriments 'cuz— "

Leera gasped and stared up at the tall, buff alien. "Gantu? _Captain_ Gantu?"

Gantu regarded her with a suspicious look before confirming his identity.

"Yes, I am Captain Gantu."

"Not anymore, you're not," Lilo grumbled.

Gantu growled inaudibly. "I _am _Gantu, recently _retired _captain of the Galactic Armada. And you are…?"

"Oh my God," Leera whispered, continuing to stare up at him. She blushed and suddenly felt faint. "I can't believe it." She placed one hand against Pleakley for support and the other on her belly. Pleakley snaked an arm around her waist and gently pulled her closer.

"Leera? Do you know him?" he whispered, sounding appalled at the very idea. Leera glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, biting her lip as she nodded, almost imperceptibly, before turning to address Gantu again.

"M-my name is Leera Analilia. You probably don't remember me, but… I could never forget _you_."

Lilo, Stitch and Pleakley gasped in unison at this revelation. Gantu only looked all the more suspicious as he narrowed his eyes.

"How do you know me?" he demanded.

Leera took a steadying breath and blinked back a small sting in her eye. "You saved my life."


	16. You Were My Oasis

_This chapter is dedicated to Bluefox. _

CHAPTER SIXTEEN:  
YOU WERE MY OASIS

Oasis, Ekk Desert  
Planet Naa  
Delta Quadrant, Sunhd System  
11 years earlier:

"Mayday! Mayday! This is First Mate Illa-li Myek of the Flagship Quasar!" The staticky call came in with a screech, suggesting equipment damage or interference.

"Quasar, this is Captain Gantu of the Flagship Aeremus-Sy. Come in."

"Captain! C-captain, we — the Quasar has b-been hijacked. The Kaizaxx — " Static cut off the frantic first mate's words.

"Quasar, this is Aeremus-Sy. Do you read?" No reply. "Quasar, this is Aeremus-Sy. Are you in distress?"

A faint voice cut through the static. Though the first mate was screaming at the top of her lungs, she sounded distant.

"MAYDAY! MAYDAY! REQUESTING PARAMEDIC UNITS TO FLAGSHIP QUASAR!"

Captain Gantu was caught off-guard by the panic in her voice. "Roger that, Quasar. Dispatching units immediately. Uh, your signature is unclear on the homing radar. What's your twenty?"

"I d-don't know. We've been marooned. W-we're on a desert p-planet in the Sunhd System. Could be Ertro or Naa. I'm not sure. The entire crew requires immediate medical attention. Please hurry!"

"I'm on my way."

-------------------------------

The signal seemed to be coming from the oasis. Captain Gantu landed his flitter on the harsh copper sand near the wreckage of a flagship. The Quasar. Two medical units followed, landing beside him. A small crew of paramedics scampered up the sandy embankment and onto the stony flat of the oasis. Gantu waited beside his flitter for the arrival of the rest of his rescue party. Moments later, five more flitters appeared on the bloody horizon and landed one by one at various points around the oasis. He watched his men pour onto the oasis with a tiny twinge of foreboding in his gut.

His attention was drawn suddenly to two paramedics lumbering back down the embankment, lugging a stretcher between them. He saw the face of the person lying on it as it passed: a face so bruised and bloodied that he couldn't even tell what race it was. The feeling in his gut thickened, and for a fleeting moment, he thought he was going to be sick. Then, just as suddenly as it had come, the feeling had gone. Gantu tore his eyes away from the victim and shook his head violently as if to clear it.

_Get a hold of yourself, Gantu. You saw much worse during the Tzii-Bhek-Kaeuol Wars. You can face this._ Gantu took a steadying breath before marching up the embankment and onto the oasis.

The oasis was a moss-covered stone flat roughly the length of a football field. Sparse foliage dotted the expanse with sickly-looking shrubs and an occasional tree. Toward the middle of the oasis the foliage thickened. Trees stood taller here, some even taller than Gantu himself. Most of the plant life on the oasis appeared either dead or in the process of dying. The only healthy greenery to be seen was the moss underfoot.

Gantu treaded lightly along, picking his way carefully around the wounded and the members of his rescue party. Being by far the tallest, he had a good view of what was going on around him. One sweeping look around told him that every wounded member of the Quasar crew was being tended to by his men. No one had been overlooked. Or had they? Even at his height, Gantu could not see _everything._ He could have seen clear across to the other end of the oasis if not for the thicket of dying trees in the center. He decided to stroll around the entire perimeter of the oasis, making sure that no one or nothing was overlooked.

By the time he reached the thicket in the center, he had passed by at least a couple dozen Quasar crew members. Five long strides brought him past the thicket to the other side of the oasis. One glance showed him that there was nothing to be found here. There was even less plant life on this side. For safe measure he walked along to the very edge of the oasis, cast a sweeping glance out over the endless desert, then about-faced and started back toward the other end to assist his crew.

As he approached the thicket again, he heard the faint rustle of dried leaves and another noise that sounded like a gasp. Out of the corner of his eye he saw movement. His warrior's reflexes kicked in and his hand immediately dove for the plasma cannon on his belt. Quick as lightning, he drew it out and pointed it at a spot at the edge of the thicket where a small fern frond wavered as though on a breeze. Suddenly, the rustling and the movement stopped. Gantu was not to be fooled. He stepped forward slowly, cannon poised to shoot.

"I know you're in there. Come out with your hands up or I'm coming in after you!"

There was the faintest tremor among the leaves, then stillness once more. Gantu growled and continued forward. He bent down slowly and reached a hand out to push a branch aside. His hand barely touched the branch when he heard it again: a tiny gasp, and a sound like sobbing. He paused before pushing the branch back and peering into the thicket.

There was a loud gasp, then a violent rustling as limbs flailed against dried leaves. Gantu jumped, nearly dropping his weapon.

"What the— ?"

Half hidden behind a bush was a young woman, Plorginarian by the look of her. A quick glance at her tattered uniform confirmed that she was another Quasar crew member. The woman lay on her side, propped up on one elbow, the other arm held up as if to block a blow. She looked terrified. Gantu stepped into the thicket and knelt down in front of her.

Up close, she was a wreck. Her uniform was torn in several places. Blood from unseen wounds soaked through the fabric. Her normally light yellowish-green complexion was darkened as though from smoke or soot, and through this thin layer of grime Gantu could see several dark bruises all over her body. Her long blond hair was greasy and matted with twigs, dirt, and dried blood. Her single large eye was red and swollen. Little rivulets of blood, most of it dried, trickled from the corner of her mouth, from her hairline, and from various cuts and scrapes all over her body.

Gantu swallowed hard and reached out a hand to her. One look at it and she scrambled away into the brush, trembling like a leaf.

"Wait! Please, don't be afraid," Gantu said in a gentle voice. "I'm here to help you."

For a second, a large eye peeked out between two branches, then in a blink, it was gone. Gantu sighed and planted his plasma cannon back in its holster, then pulled something else from his belt.

"Here, look," he said, holding his badge out for her to see. "I am Captain Gantu of the Galactic Armada. Your first mate sent out an SOS and I answered it. My crew and I are here now to help. We have medical units here who'll have you taken care of promptly. Please come out."

The eye peeked out a second time as if to validate his claim. It stared unblinking at the badge for several seconds, then it was gone again. Leaves rustled as the young woman crawled slowly back into view. Gantu smiled and made a welcoming gesture with his hand. The young woman stared at him but didn't say anything. His smile faltered.

"Are you alright?" he asked her. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he kicked himself mentally. _Of course she's not alright! One look at her and any idiot would realize…_Thankfully she didn't seem to be offended. The young woman did not answer, but cast her eye to the ground. Gantu wasn't sure, but he thought she was fighting back tears. His heart melted at the sight of her. _The poor girl. What in Blitznak had she been through?_

"Do you need help? Can you stand up?" he asked her. The young woman shuddered a little, then planted her palms against the ground as she made an effort to push herself up. She barely got to her feet before doubling over in pain. She clutched her middle and gasped, and a drop of blood formed on her lower lip before falling to the ground. She keeled forward slowly, settling herself down on her two front-most knees. The third leg curled up underneath her. She sobbed.

Gantu ached for her. "Here, let me help you." He stretched both arms out to her as if to embrace her. The young woman glared at his massive hands with a look that resembled contempt. She did not move. Gantu reached for her and she pulled away, squealing.

"Ma'am, _please_, I'm not going to hurt you. I want to help you, but you're making it very hard for me to do so." He leaned in closer to her, arms still extended. She tried to scramble away further but was stopped by the trunk of a fallen tree. She was trapped now, and had no choice but to surrender. Cringing as low as possible, she let out a loud sob as she felt Gantu's muscular arms slip underneath her frail body and hoist her up. Gantu held her against his chest, cradling her like a baby as he marched out of the thicket and into the glaring light of the red dwarf sun.

He looked down at the young woman and his heart withered. In the bright sunlight, every bruise, scratch and speck of blood looked ten times worse. Her eye was squinted tightly shut against the sunlight, and tears squeezed out to glisten against her bruised and sooty face. Her noodle-like body felt oddly stiff in his arms. In spite of this, he felt her begin to slip through them, so he hoisted her back up and hugged her firmly to his chest.

The sudden brusque movements must have hurt the young woman, for she cried out hoarsely, drawing her three legs up to her middle and curling into the fetal position. She stayed that way, sobbing wetly into her rescuer's chest, all the way back to the other side of the oasis. Gantu felt a sympathetic sting in the backs of his eyes, but tried not to show any outward sign beyond his professional diplomatic air. He tore his eyes from the young woman and focused them on the medical units ahead.

"Arkus!" he barked at one of his men. Arkus looked up and saluted.

"Sir?"

"Where in Blitznak are the paramedics? This woman needs immediate medical attention!"

Arkus winced at his Captain's furious tone. "I'm sorry, sir, but they're all busy tending to the others. Most of them are already on their way back to the Aeremus-Sy with their patients. There isn't room on any of the remaining medical units for another one," he said, glancing at the Plorginarian girl in Gantu's arms.

Gantu growled in frustration. "Fine. I'll take her back myself then." And without another word he turned and strode off the oasis down to his flitter.

With one arm holding the young woman securely, he opened the passenger-side door and then set her down with the utmost care in the enormous seat. Though still conscious, she lay as limply as a wet noodle against the armrest, staring off into space. The distant look in her eye bothered Gantu. He cleared his throat loudly and muttered something to her about seatbelts. Her swollen eye rolled toward him, tear-bright as it stared unblinking into his own sky blue eyes. She said nothing. Gantu sighed and leaned into the flitter to buckle her in.

As he tightened the belt over her lap, he noticed streaks of dried blood running down one of her thighs. He followed the streaks with his eyes until they disappeared up her skirt, the hem of which had apparently soaked up some of the blood. It took a moment for him to realize what this must have meant. The horror of that realization made him shudder. Tearing his eyes from her legs, he hastily finished tightening the seatbelt and then shut the passenger-side door. He stole one last, lingering glance at the wreckage of the Flagship Quasar before climbing into his flitter and heading back to the Aeremus-Sy.

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A/N: I have new fan art to go with this new chapter! You can view it at Fanart Central under the name Nevuela. The picture is titled "You Were My Oasis." For those of you having trouble locating Fanart Central, just do a search for fanart + central + dot +com. FFN won't let me post the actual web address, so you're on your own. Sorry. If you're still having trouble finding the site, or viewing my pics, drop me an email and I would be happy to send you my "Pleakley's Story" fan art.


	17. Reunion

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN:  
REUNION

"Leera?"

A sudden flash flood of terribly vivid memories washed over Gantu as he stared into the single bright eye of the woman who had proclaimed him her hero. In that eye he could see every last detail of those memories — the same eye that had once looked upon him in adulation, that had shone like sunlight on water whenever she'd laughed, and that had haunted his dreams with the pain he'd seen within.

He knelt down in front of her and brought his face close to hers. His sapphire eyes were dazzling in the morning light.

"Yes, I do remember you. In fact I, uh, I could never forget you, either."

Before anyone present could react, Leera lunged forward and threw her arms around Gantu's neck, hugging him with all her might. Startled, Gantu hesitated a moment before hugging her back. Lilo and Stitch stared in shock and Pleakley, whose eye was by far the widest, outstared them both. His jaw dropped as he watched his wife press a kiss to Gantu's cheek. Gantu blushed, but did not seem to notice his audience. He continued to embrace Leera as it seemed evident that she was not about to let go of him.

To Pleakley's astonishment (and mild disgust), a small but very sincere smile had spread across Gantu's face. The hug continued for much longer than Pleakley believed was appropriate. He frowned and began an impatient tapping of his foot. Out of habit he glanced at his wrist as though to check the time, though he didn't need a watch to tell him that this hug session should have ended ages ago. He saw Leera kiss Gantu's cheek again and growled, then quickly turned the growl into a loud throat-clearing sound in an attempt to get his wife's attention. This did not work at all.

Pleakley stepped forward and put a hand on Leera's shoulder.

"Uh, alright honey, I _hate_ to break up this happy reunion, but I think you should be getting up to the house n— " his next words were killed off by the sound of sobbing. Horrified, Pleakley realized that Leera was crying. He felt something heavy and unpleasant hit the pit of his stomach, and the bitter taste of bile rose in his throat. Swallowing hard, he placed both hands on her shoulders and gently pulled her away from Gantu.

She finally turned away from the large alien, and Pleakley opened his arms to take her in, to comfort her, but instead of taking refuge in her husband's arms, Leera shoved past him so brusquely that he nearly toppled backward over Stitch, who was crouched behind him.

"No. I'm fine." The tone of her voice was cold. Too cold. Once she was safely out of arm's reach, she glanced back over her shoulder at Gantu. "I never got a chance to thank you properly, Gantu." She wiped a large tear away and sniffled. "Why don't you come back to the house with us so I can."

Pleakley, still stunned by his wife's sudden coldness, spoke up. "I don't think that's such a good idea, hun. You've clearly exhausted yourself enough for one day, and this Gantu guy isn't really the type of company you should keep, regardless of whatever he did, however long ago."

Leera turned on him with a look of cold fury. "He saved my life, Wendy," she said through gritted teeth. "I would have thought that you of all people would appreciate that."

"I do, believe me, I do. But… (sigh) Nani's not going to like this."

"Well, too bad. C'mon, Gantu." Leera took the tall alien by the hand. "I want to introduce you to the rest of my ohana."

Gantu smirked and stood up. "I think I know your ohana a little too well already."

"Maybe, but they obviously don't know the heroic Captain Gantu that I know. And besides, you haven't met the whole ohana just yet." Leera grinned impishly and patted her belly.

Gantu saw the gesture and his eyes widened as he seemed to notice her bloated belly for the first time. "Y-you're pregnant?" Leera nodded. "How? When? By who?" He winced at his own words. "I'm sorry, not 'by who.' How terribly rude of me. The father must be — "

"Me," Pleakley said firmly, standing beside his wife. He glared up at Gantu with a challenging eye.

Gantu looked flabbergasted. "You? But you're just — "

"My husband," Leera filled in. "Wendy's my husband."

Gantu stared at him. "Your first name is Wendy?"

Pleakley puffed out his chest and opened his mouth to say something unfavorable, but Leera was quicker.

"It means 'brave warrior' in Plorginaar, and that's what he is, alright." She threw an arm around Pleakley's shoulder. "Do you know what he did to the Kaizaxx?"

Pleakley blushed and muttered, "Technically, they did it to themselves. Le'Kru— I mean, you-know-who went mad and hit the ship's self-destruct button, remember?"

"Oh Wendy, don't be so modest. You're still _my_ brave warrior," Leera cooed, wrapping both arms around his neck and batting her eye seductively.

"Quit trying to butter me up," Pleakley grumbled. "You know it always works."

"I know," Leera purred. She turned to Gantu. "C'mon now. I want the whole ohana to meet the man who rescued me."

"Yes. I'm really looking forward to hearing that story," Pleakley said, his tone somewhat sarcastic, though he wasn't sure if he'd really meant it to be. In truth, he was very curious about the role Gantu had played in his wife's past, but part of him was having a very hard time believing that Gantu could play any role other than that of a villain.

One arm around his wife, Pleakley turned and started back toward the house. Stitch scuttled on ahead with Lilo on his back. Leera waddled along heavily and Gantu followed a few paces behind. They didn't get very far before Leera stopped, doubled over as if in pain.

"What is it, honey? Are you okay?" Pleakley stood in front of her. Leera shook her head, but didn't look at him. Her arms tightened around her middle and she gasped.

"It hurts. Right here." She rubbed her lower belly.

Pleakley reached a hand out to the spot, then pulled back. "Do you — I mean — the baby — is it time?"

Leera cringed and hunched over further. "I don't know. I think so."

Pleakley paled considerably at this statement. "Oh dear Blitznak." He pressed a hand to the small of her back, the other to her belly. "Can you walk? Just back to the house. Then Jumba can…" he trailed off as Leera sank to her knees, breathing heavily.

Gantu knelt down beside the two Plorginarians and extended a hand. "Here. I can carry you back to your house quickly."

Leera and Pleakley both looked up at him in surprise.

"I can carry you both, if you like." Gantu looked back and forth at the two much smaller aliens, still staring up at him. "I promise I'll be gentle."

The sound of his wife gasping made him forget the last of his reservations and he nodded. Gantu moved closer, ready to take Leera into his arms.

"C'mon, babe. Get up," Pleakley whispered, wrapping his arms around his wife and pulling her to her feet as gently as he could.

Leera gasped and pulled away from him. "Don't! You're hurting me!" She stumbled a little and was saved by Gantu's large hand. She fell into it like a baseball into a catcher's mitt and settled there as his arms encircled her, bearing her up to rest against his chest. The once-familiar feeling overwhelmed her. Despite the pain in her abdomen, she was also painfully aware of Gantu: his soothing voice, his musk-like scent, the firmness of his chest as she rested her head against it, the warmth and safety she felt in his muscular arms. Lost in nostalgia, she snuggled up against her savior and allowed him to carry her home.

Pleakley, having refused Gantu's offer for a lift, followed the giant alien and Leera at a brisk pace, his single narrowed eye all but burning a hole in Gantu's back. He just couldn't believe any of it. First, the big dummy had to go and be a hero once, and then he just had to wind up on Earth years later and cross paths with his overly grateful, not-at-all-forgetful and extremely pregnant wife. Then, of course, he just had to win her heart all over again. She'd swooned twice into Gantu's waiting arms, and twice he had borne her away from him. And as if that weren't enough, she had even recoiled from him. Him! Her husband!

Really! Of all the nerve! He'd been a good husband, hadn't he? He'd been sensitive to her feelings, to her suffering. He'd even shared in it. Her pain was his own. He loved her that much, but now… it seemed to mean nothing. Had he really been that insensitive about her past relationship with Gantu? Had he really caused her pain when he'd tried to help her up? She'd seemed so upset with him, almost as if… she was blaming him for her pain. Darn mood swings. But maybe Leera was right. He did tend to overreact a little, but he certainly wasn't a drama queen!

When they reached the house, Gantu set Leera down gently on the porch. Pleakley raced up the steps to meet her.

"Honey, are you okay? How do you feel? Does it still hurt? How bad? On a scale of one to ten, how bad would you say — "

"Three or four. Five if you're gonna be a pain in the neck about it."

"Uh, okay. You wait here. I'll get Jumba. He can carry you into the bedroom."

"No, that's alright. I'm perfectly capable of walking now."

"You — you are?"

"Yes. I'm feeling a little better now."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"But — the baby — it could be coming now!"

Leera patted her belly and shook her head. "I don't think so. I think it was just a false alarm. Indigestion or something."

"Well, alright. You should go lay down and rest a little anyway. You've had a busy morning. I'll send Jumba in to check on you, just to be sure everything's okay."

Leera sighed helplessly. "Alright, Wendy." She turned to Gantu. "Sorry I have to ditch you now. If I don't go lay down for a while Wendy's gonna worry himself sick."

"Aww, that's alright." Gantu smiled sheepishly. Pleakley rolled his eye.

"Couldja come back this afternoon, Gantu? I'd really like to see you again. It's been so long. We've got a lot of catching up to do."

Gantu's smile widened. "Of course."


	18. Comfort Food

_A/N: Sorry-sorry-sorry it's taken so #$& long to update. No excuses. Here's the first installment of what I hope will be a productive week. I'm already working on the next couple of chapters, so bear with me as I try in vain to make up for all the wasted time. Comments are, as always, very much welcome and appreciated, and are a great encouragement for me. Please, please, PLEASE tell me what you think, what you like, what you don't like, etc. If you have any questions or concerns or ideas or — ANYTHING, I'm all ears - er, eyes. Whatever. -(E_

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN:  
COMFORT FOOD

Leera had only just gotten comfortable when Jumba entered the bedroom wheeling in a small table, on which sat the ultrasound machine and various medical supplies. Pleakley came in right behind him and sat down on the bed next to his wife, watching like a hawk as the exam was carried out.

"So, I hear you are being acquainted vith big dummy fish face!" Jumba said abruptly, as means of making small talk during the exam.

Leera looked at him curiously. "What?"

"He means Gantu," Pleakley muttered.

"What! How dare you talk about him like that!" Leera said angrily, struggling to sit up. "Gantu is my friend! He - he saved my life! What did he ever do to you to make you call him that?"

Jumba backed away. "Okay then. I think ve are being finished here." He turned from Leera's smoldering glare and started setting the ultrasound equipment aside. Leera growled as Pleakley pushed her gently back down on the bed. He picked up a towel and wiped the gel off her belly.

"Why does everyone here hate Gantu so much?" Leera demanded, now more calmly.

"Eh, is not so much ve are hating him," Jumba replied. "Is more like returning of sentiments."

"Well then, what does Gantu have against _you_?"

"Cannot even be imagining. Maybe it was my costing him high-ranking job, or humiliation following, or the being constantly defeated by little girl and 626. Is hard to say."

Leera looked taken aback by this. "Long story," Pleakley said. "I'll tell ya later."

"But why does Gantu want your experiments, Jumba?" Leera asked.

"Oh, he is not vanting them for himself. Is mangy, maniacal little vermin he is working for. Dr. Jacques Von Hamsterveil, my former partner in field of evil geniusing."

"Oh." Leera looked disappointed by this news. Pleakley took her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze. Jumba busied himself at the little table he had wheeled in, apparently setting up for another exam. After a minute, he pulled on a pair of rubber gloves and turned back to the bed.

"Please to be putting feet up," he announced, and before Leera could even move, Pleakley stood up quickly and shouted "Whoa! Hold on just one second there, Mr. Touchy-Feely! I think you've done more than enough probing for one day!"

"Vhat? I am not even starting to probing yet! This vill just be simple little pelvic exam. Is no big deal."

"Oh yes it IS a big deal!" Pleakley argued. "Especially when you're sticking your dirty hands where they don't belong!"

"Oh, Wendy, get a grip," Leera said. "It's not like we're having an affair or anything. It's just an examination. He wants to make sure everything's okay. Don't you want everything to be okay?"

"Well yeah, but — he's going to put his hands up your— " Pleakley burned red with embarrassment.

Leera just shrugged. "There's a lot worse things that could go up there. Besides, the same thing's just gonna happen again when the baby's being born."

"That's true," Pleakley mumbled. He sighed and sat back down on the bed, facing away from the other two. Out of the corners of his eye he watched Jumba move toward the foot of the bed, while on the other side Leera just laid there looking quite comfortable. Too comfortable, he thought, then slapped himself mentally. His eye bounced back to where Jumba stood. He saw a quick flash of metal and wondered what sort of instrument it was and what its intentions were.

Leera gasped. "Jumba! Your hands are like ice! And what the heck is _that_?"

Pleakley turned his head a little to peer over his shoulder, trying to see exactly what Jumba was doing without being noticed.

Too late. Jumba looked over at him suddenly and said, "Are you not going to be observing?"

"Um, well — "

"I thought it vas being mandatory for ridiculously paranoid husband to be observant of any and all prenatal examinations."

"Er, yeah, but — "

"Oh, you know how Wendy is about this sort of thing," Leera said lightly. "He can't even look at a slug because he thinks it's not decent."

"I just think they should be more modest and wear shells like their snail cousins!" Pleakley explained.

"Am guessing you made baby with lights being out," Jumba said, chuckling.

Pleakley swung around to stab him with a glare, but Jumba was immune. He leaned forward with an instrument in hand. Pleakley turned away quickly, but still watched Jumba and his wife out of the corners of his eye.

"Please to be moving aside third leg," Jumba instructed.

"Which one is that?" Leera asked.

Pleakley crossed his own legs tightly and blurted out in a shrill voice, "So, uh, how exactly did Gantu save your life?"

Silence, save for the rustling of bed sheets, answered him.

"Honey?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Well it's kind of hard to explain. Why don't we wait till later when he comes over?"

"I'd really rather hear about it now." The dead calm monotone of her husband's voice convinced Leera to tell him. Pleakley did not turn around to face her, and she felt uncomfortable not being able to see his face.

"When I was serving on the Quasar, and the Kaizaxx attacked…" she began, then paused, waiting for a reaction from Pleakley. That once sentence she knew should have been enough to start sending shivers through either of them. Sure enough, she saw her husband's limp antenna go suddenly rigid, and, looking down, saw his hands tighten their grip on the edge of the mattress. She took a deep breath and continued.

"When that happened… and afterward… when they marooned us on Naa… it was Gantu and his crew that came and rescued us." Leera paused again, feeling her throat tighten. She glanced again at Pleakley. He was sitting up straighter now.

"We were scattered all over the oasis. Some were half dead. I was lying in a thicket when Gantu found me."

"Uh-huh." This simple response seemed guarded, and she knew that deep inside her husband was beating down the demons she herself had had to fight off.

"Th - they ran out of paramedic units before I could be helped, so Gantu… he took me straight to the nearest infirmary himself. He rarely left my side until I recovered." Leera fell silent again, until a sudden sharp kick from the baby caused her to gasp.

Pleakley turned to her immediately with concern shining in his eye. Jumba, who had scarcely moved since the beginning of Leera's story, set his instrument back down on the table and pulled off his gloves.

"I think that is being enough for one day," he said. He took his supplies and wheeled them toward the door.

Leera sat up quickly. "Wait! You - you're not going to examine me?"

"Am thinking is not the best time. Ultrasound is being enough for time being. Besides, baby is looking very healthy."

"Yeah, but -- what about Leera?" Pleakley demanded. "What if she has problems with the birth?"

Jumba waved a hand dismissively. "I am doubting it. You stringy one-eyed types are very elastic. And no bones. Should have no trouble passing baby."

Pleakley made an indignant noise and said, "That kind of assumption is just plain ignorance, you know! For your information, _my_ birth wasn't easy on me _or_ my mom! So what do you say to that, Doc?"

Jumba looked him over. "Eh, you are both looking okay to me."

"Yeah, well -- well --- I nearly died! What do you say to _that_?"

Jumba looked at him again. "Ehhh, on second thought, your head is being oddly shaped. Other than that I am seeing no lasting effects." And he turned and strolled out of the room.

"Yeah well, what do _you_ know? You're not qualified to be a Plorginarian doctor anyway!" Pleakley yelled at his back.

"Wendy, you're doing it again," Leera said.

"Doing what?"

"Being a drama queen. Now why don't you make yourself useful and brew me some mint tea?"

"Uh, sure. You want something to go with that? Cookies or something?"

"Graham crackers, please. And an orange, sliced. I hate having to peel those things."

"Alright then." Pleakley got up.

"Oh, and a pickle, too!"

"A pickle?"

"Yes, and a Pop Tart. And do we still have a can of sardines left? I'd like a few of those on a sandwich. With peanut butter and jelly. Grape jelly, not marmalade. I hate marmalade. Marmalade is just -- _yeccchhh_!"

"Uh, alright then. I'll try to remember all that with a straight face." Pleakley started for the door, then paused. "Uh, I'm afraid to ask, but here goes: anything else?"

"Oh yes. The baby will have some tomato juice and a slice of banana bread."

Pleakley sighed. "Of course. I'll get right on it."

Leera laid back in bed and rubbed her belly. "Thanks, hon."

In the kitchen, Pleakley found his parents and uncle sitting around the table having coffee and toast.

"Morning, sweetie," Vay yawned. "Nani said you were out experiment hunting."

Pleakley set some water to boil on the stove, then turned to the fridge to look for the snacks his wife had requested.

"I wasn't experiment hunting, I was wife hunting. Leera went out after Lilo and the little monster to keep an eye on them. You won't believe what happened when I went out looking for her!"

"What happened?" Gidgel asked. Pleakley paused in the middle of his search.

"Leera met Gantu."

"And?"

"And she knows him."

"Really?" Vay asked. "Where does she know him from?"

Pleakley pulled some items from the fridge and set them on the counter. "Uh, well, I think it would be best if you found out from her."

"Why?" Vay asked. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, really, except… well, Gantu kinda sorta saved her life one time and now he's a hero to her. So don't badmouth the big dummy in front of her, unless you're prepared to get walloped by an extremely moody pregnant woman."

"Well, isn't that something!" Vay exclaimed. "Gantu a hero. And what a small universe it is. But… you said Leera just met Gantu for the first time this morning?"

"No, I said she met him years ago when he saved her life."

"I know, but, here on Earth. This is the first time she ran into him?"

"Yeah, but that's only because there aren't very many experiments left to look for these days. Gantu hardly ever comes out of his ship unless there's an experiment loose. That, and he took off for a couple of months when the grand councilwoman assigned him to some top secret mission in the Neverun galaxy."

"Ah." Vay nodded and took a long sip of coffee. She watched her son tiredly as he bustled about the kitchen. "Wendy, come here."

"What?"

"There's a tear in your dress. Right there. No, there. Come over here and I'll show you."

Pleakley obeyed and stood next to Vay as she pointed out the torn seam under the left sleeve.

"Oh yeah, that. Leera tore it the other day when she was trying it on. That's about the third or fourth time that's happened now." He chuckled. "She just can't admit that most of her clothes don't fit her anymore."

Kirk, who had been silent the whole time, finally cleared his throat and spoke up. "Alright, that does it. I've been quiet all week now, but this has been bugging the heck outta me. Forgive me if I sound impertinent, but what's with the drag routine?"

Pleakley looked shocked at this question. He opened his mouth to answer, but was speechless.

"Oh, Wendy's always been like that," Gidgel replied. "He likes pretty things, and that just happens to include women's clothing. He's never cared what other people think, either. Ain't that right, boy?"

"Uh, right." Pleakley blushed as he set all the food on a tray and balanced it carefully as he headed out toward the bedroom.

"Is that ALL for Leera?" Gidgel asked incredulously.

Pleakley sighed in annoyance. "No, of course not. Some of it's for the baby."


	19. For Love of Leera

A/N: Okay, okay, no excuses this time. The following chapter was originally written out of context. It was intended to be used later on in the story, but a sudden plot twist popped up, forcing me to feng shui a few parts around. I know some of you will be disappointed to find out that Gantu does not show up in this chapter. Don't worry, there's a good reason for that, beyond the obvious. To some of you, this chapter may seem unnecessary to the story, but it was already written, and I don't like to keep you guys waiting any longer than necessary, so I'm posting it. So now y'all have something to read! It's a long chapter, and I'm warning you now, it gets pretty steamy. I assure you, though, that I tried to write it as tastefully as possible. So if you're not into hot alien lovin', don't read. FYI, there's a lot more love than lust involved. Enjoy!

CHAPTER NINETEEN:  
FOR LOVE OF LEERA

That afternoon a sudden cloudburst drenched the entire island of Kauai and thoroughly dampened Leera's hopes of seeing Gantu again. She still hoped that, in spite of the rain, he would come, but she knew it would be too much to expect of him. She stared out her bedroom window for what seemed to Pleakley like ages.

"Don't worry, hun. I'm sure you'll see Gantu again really soon," he'd assured her. "Heck, I'm surprised you hadn't run into him sooner. A big guy like that is hard to miss!"

Leera only sighed in response. Pleakley felt a small stab of guilt remembering how he'd acted that morning. The very idea that Gantu could have had a pre-existing relationship with his wife, and furthermore, that he had been a hero to her, had been too much to stomach, without the added idea of a reunion on his plate.

Visions from that morning replayed in his mind. He smirked at the memory of the two of them hugging. It had seemed rather ridiculous, all that fuss over that big dummy… but then, when she refused to let go of him… when she'd started sobbing… All he could think to do was to try to get Leera away from Gantu as quickly and as painlessly as possible. It had been for her own good… hadn't it?

Pleakley sat across the room from his wife, watching her as she stared morosely out the window. He hated seeing her upset, although at the moment she didn't quite fit that picture. Depressed, maybe. Disappointed, of course. But that was better than her crying. Or being mad at _him_. And a LOT better than dwelling on the past, as painful as it must have been for her. With Gantu back in her life, how could she not remember, how could she not relive, that nightmare aboard the Kaizaxx ship?

_Curse you, Gantu. Why did you have to go and be a hero? And why did you have to show up HERE, of all places, and of all times? Strutting around like you pulled off a miracle or something. It's not like it was THAT big a deal. Anyone could've been there to help her. But you just happened to be in the neighborhood, huh? How convenient. Well, that's nothing. I would have been there for her, too. If I'd only known. But she never told me. Not until three years later. Three whole years! And I had no idea. Blitznak, Leera, why didn't you tell me sooner? Why? You let a stranger help you, yet you couldn't even TELL me what happened? Didn't you know how much I loved you, even then? Didn't you realize I would have been there for you? If I'd only known… _

"Where does Gantu live?"

The question snapped him out of his thoughts. "Huh?"

"I said, 'where does Gantu live?' Is he nearby? Maybe I could surprise him with a visit after the rain stops."

Pleakley got up and walked over to the window. He sat down next to Leera. "He's a couple of miles inland. Not far. But I don't know about going to _his_ place. I think we should wait and see if he shows up _here _first. I mean, if he's really a good friend of yours, then I'm sure he'll want to see you again."

"What's wrong with going to _his_ place?" Leera asked.

Pleakley considered his answer. "Nothing, really, except that it's not exactly an easy place to get to. You can't drive there, except in a dune buggy, and even then it'll be a bumpy ride. And I mean _really_ bumpy," he added hastily. "I'm not talking tiny-little-insignificant-potholes-on-Cunha-Road bumpy. I'm talking hurl-your-guts-out-and-go-into-labor-early bumpy!"

"Well, there's always walking," Leera reminded him.

"You're not seriously thinking of walking all the way to Gantu's place in your condition, are you?" Pleakley demanded.

Leera snorted. "You say 'condition' like it's some kind of debilitating disease. And you'd better not just be making up excuses to keep me from seeing Gantu, because if you are…" She made a fist with one hand and plowed it into the palm of the other hand. Pleakley winced. "Wouldn't dream of it."

Leera gave him a look of disbelief.

"Honest, honey. If it means that much to you, I'll take you to see him. I promise. But let's wait a day or two first. He's probably just waiting out the storm. I'm sure he'll come over as soon as it clears up."

"Alright." Leera sighed and leaned against him, and he responded by putting an arm around her. She sighed again, watching the storm rage outside. Pleakley held her close, watching the storm as well.

_Curse you, Gantu. Curse you and thank you. I should have been there for Leera, but… at least YOU were there. Thank you and curse you for that._

Pleakley and Leera retired early that evening, barricading themselves inside their room in order to enjoy some much-desired peace — a prize seldom achieved on Saturday nights in the Pelekai household. It was Monster Movie Night for Lilo and Stitch, and that meant that the living room would quickly become a hazard area as the pint-sized duo dressed up as their monstrous idols and act out the loudest, scariest and/or most obnoxious scenes while they played out on the TV.

Inside their room, it was nice and quiet; Stitch's howls and Lilo's agonized moans could only barely be heard from the living room. Now and then these would be overridden by Nani's blood-curdling reprimands as one of them committed some small yet dastardly offense against a piece of furniture.

Pleakley sat up in bed flipping through _Vogue_, seeking out tips for his next pursuit in Earth fashion and style. Leera, finished with her bath and bundled in a snug-fitting robe, came in bearing an armful of magazines. She dumped them on the bed next to her husband.

"Here. I swiped these from Nani. She says they're not hers, but…" she glanced down at them and shrugged. The flashy covers of _Redbook, Vanity Fair_, _Victoria's Secret, Cosmo Girl! _and _Better Homes and Gardens _stared back at her. Pleakley pushed a hand around through the pile until he found a particular magazine and picked it up.

"So _that's _what happened to my Pretty in Pink issue!" he exclaimed, opening it up as eagerly as a child opening presents on Christmas morning. "Here, hun, have a look at this!" He shoved the rest of the magazines aside so that Leera could sit down beside him. Pleakley thumbed through the pages until he reached the section he was looking for. He then spread the magazine open in his lap and pointed to the pictures within.

Leera stared numbly at photos of curvaceous _Victoria's Secret _models, all scantily clad in varying shades and styles of pink lingerie.

"Just look at them!" Pleakley breathed. "Aren't they exquisite? Mmmm." Leera turned abruptly to face her husband, and for a fleeting second she could almost swear he was starting to drool. Pleakley licked his lips with both tongues before wetting a thumb and forefinger and turning the page. Leera's eye widened. Even more half-naked, voluptuous females were sprawled out on the following pages, though this time the lingerie was even more revealing. The little fabric that covered the women's impossibly perfect bodies left considerably less to the imagination than did the ones on the previous page.

"Mm-mm-mmm!" Pleakley licked his lips again, looking increasingly excited by what he saw. "Oh, my precious pink beauties, if I had just _one_ of you here with me right now, I'd hold you… stroke you…" he trailed off, closing his eye and placing a hand over his hearts. He wore a blissful smile, a smile Leera knew all too well… but only under the most intimate of circumstances.

"Wendy!" Leera gasped, appalled by his behavior.

Pleakley's eye flew open and he looked startled for a moment, then smiled. "Of course, I'd let _you_ wear it more," he said, blushing. "I mean, just look!" He held up the magazine for her to see and pointed to one of the models. "Now, tell me that's not the laciest little camisole you've ever seen! It would just look _stunning_ on you!"

Leera looked puzzled. "What?"

Pleakley shrugged. "I know, I admit it. I was only thinking of myself at first. But then I pictured _you_ in it and… well, after that, I just couldn't help myself. Oh, pass me the order form. It fell out over there. I'm going to get that pretty lil thing if it's the last thing I do!" He took the sheet Leera handed him and a pen. "For _you_, of course," he added sheepishly.

Leera gave a long, relieved sigh and brushed her hair out of her eyes. "You really are too much, Wendy, you know that? Just too much." She stood by the bed watching and smirking at her husband as he debated over which frilly item he should order.

"…and _this_ would look darling with that lacy pink girdle of mine - er, ours."

Leera chuckled. "Sharing clothes is one thing, honey, but when it comes to unmentionables, that's where I'm gonna hafta draw the line."

"But I'm not getting this for myself!" Pleakley swore. Leera looked at him disbelievingly. "Alright, maybe a _little_ for myself, but it's mostly for _you_! And I promise I won't wear it… much." Leera still stared at him. "Alright, alright. We'll work out a joint custody schedule before I even order it! That way there's no arguing over who's turn it is to wear it. _You_ can have it every other day!" He paused to think this over. "Except for the fact that there's seven days in a week, and you can't divide them up equally… I know! How about alternate weekends? That'll work, right?"

Leera folded her arms across her chest and shook her head. Pleakley sighed despairingly. "Alright. _You_ get the extra day. You deserve it. Besides," he said, perking up suddenly, "it'll look a lot better on you! Why, with those curves…" he looked her up and down. "That oughtta be _you _in that picture!" He looked down at said picture, then back at his wife, and his eye held a dreamy look. "Alright, that settles it. I'm ordering this baby tonight!" And without wasting a single second, he dove for the phone on the nightstand.

Leera sat down on the bed beside him and took the phone from his hand. "Hold your horses, pretty boy. What makes you think I'd wear something like _that_?" she gestured to the magazine.

"The same thing that makes me think you're the most beautiful thing in the history of the universe. _Because I say so._" Pleakley looked his wife square in the eye as he said this, watching his words sink in and take effect. And, as always, Leera blushed and dropped her gaze from his. No matter how many times he said something like that, no matter how many times he simply said "I love you," it made her blush and look away.

Her hearts fluttered as he reached up and ran his fingers through her hair, but still she didn't look at him. She never knew how to react when he did these things. He was so good to her, so kind and loving… she almost felt like she didn't deserve it at times. Then her downcast eye roved over the open magazine, and the glossy photos of the goddesses within. Her hands went instinctively to her belly and she felt sick with herself. Then the sickness turned to anger at Wendy for making her believe she was still desirable.

Pleakley's attention had turned back to the magazine, which he was currently perusing one last time before stacking the pile up neatly and shoving the lot under his side of the bed.

"Oh Leera, you're going to look so gorgeous in that camisole! Why, I'm getting all giddy just thinking about it!"

Leera turned away from him and crawled under the covers. "Don't make fun," she scolded. "You know the only thing I'd look good in right now is labor, and that's not saying very much."

Pleakley turned to his wife with a look of supreme disbelief. "What are you talking about? Look at yourself! _I'm_ doing it right now, and I can tell you you're — "

"Fat," Leera finished for him. "I'm a big bloated cow with sagging udders and varicose veins who can't even see her own stupid swollen feet!"

And with a flourish she threw herself against her pillow and yanked the covers up over her head. She was glad she'd thought of that last touch. If Pleakley could have seen her face just then… she'd embarrassed herself so badly that her blushing was making her refuge under the covers stifling hot. But she did not resurface. Instead, she waited tensely for Pleakley's fierce argument that she was still the most beautiful woman in existence, but all she heard was an impatient sigh.

Pleakley stared hopelessly at the round lump under the blanket. He sighed and reached over to pull the covers down, then paused, noticing that her antenna was still exposed. A very evil grin crept across his face as he leaned over and began to nuzzle at it. In seconds he heard Leera's startled gasp and felt her try to pull away, to cover it up, but it was too late. He caught the flimsy appendage in his mouth and sucked it slowly, drawing a long, shuddering moan from Leera as she finally managed to pull away, her antenna slowly coming free of its wet prison. A moment later she was glaring angrily at him from under the covers.

"Damnit Wendy, you know what that does to me!"

Pleakley merely grinned and dove down, taking her antenna between his lips and nibbling at it, just above the base. Leera drew in a long breath and held it, shivering ecstatically under her husband's ministrations. Pleakley hooked a finger under her chin and tilted her face up so he could look her in the eye.

"Now, what were you saying, my _beautifully_ bloated cow with sagging udders and varicose veins?"

Leera took a big gulp of air to steady her breathing. "And swollen feet," she added feebly, her lower lip trembling as she gazed into his eye.

"Really?" Pleakley said, sounding highly amused. He rose above her until he was sitting up in bed, then took hold of the covers and pulled them down slowly, exposing Leera as he did so. "Well, let's just see about that, shall we?" He gave her a seductive smile before moving down the bed toward her feet. Leera tried to hide her smile as she watched him take a foot in hand and massage it tenderly.

"Hmmm… yes. Interesting."

"What's interesting?" Leera asked. "They're just feet. _Fat_ feet."

"Yes, it's true," Pleakley conceded, taking up another foot and giving it the same treatment. "They've gotten a little thicker over the past few months, particularly around the ankles…" he paused as Leera's foot twitched. He knew he'd hit a ticklish spot and was pleased at the reaction it brought. Leera's toes were now wriggling helplessly in his grasp, and Leera herself was having a hard time biting her lip down to keep herself from laughing.

"But they've worked so hard to get this way," he told her, lifting a foot up to plant a dainty kiss on it. "They've just been so busy carrying two people around all the time, going up and down stairs, running around like it's the end of the world… all they need is to put themselves up and relax while Daddy takes care of them and their precious cargo."

Leera groaned and rolled her eye. "Oh, brother."

"No, I'm Daddy, remember? Now, let's see what we have here," Pleakley purred as his hand slid up one leg and under her nightgown. The other hand quickly joined it, and soon both were snaking their way up and down her soft thigh. Leera shivered again. "Mm-hmmm. Yep. Just like you said. Varicose veins. Another sign that you're stressed and just need a little _re-lax-a-tion_." He said the last word with an added emphasis that made Leera tingle with anticipation.

Pleakley loomed over her again, staring down into her eye. That smile was still there; that '_you-MUST-know-what-I'm-thinking-about' _grin was so contagious that she quickly found herself mirroring it.

"Now then, what else was there?" he asked, looking her up and down. His gaze snagged on the low-cut neckline of her nightgown and his grin grew even wider. He leaned over her. "Sagging udders? I _beg_ to differ…"

From out of nowhere a hand snuck up and tickled her side, crawling eagerly upward until it traced the soft, full curve of her breast, cupping the exquisite treasure as lovingly as one might cradle a baby. Then the hand moved away, climbing further upward until the fingers entangled themselves in the lacy shoulder strap of her nightgown. Leera stared wonderingly up at her husband, eye shining.

He gazed back, their eyes locked in nonverbal communication with each other. Leera wanted to lose herself in his look, and at the same time she wanted to break the spell he had over her and flee screaming into the night. She barely felt the fabric sliding off her shoulders and down her arms. And she had no reaction whatever to the cold air on her suddenly naked breasts, save for the obvious…

Pleakley finally broke eye contact with her and looked down at them. Leera blushed. The cold was quickly taking its toll on her sensitive female anatomy. Almost as if reading her mind, Pleakley brought his hand back up to cup an orb. Leera purred contentedly as he stroked her hardened nipple with his thumb.

She pressed against him, nuzzling her face into the curve of his neck and wrapping her arms around him. Pleakley rested his chin on top of her head, sucking lazily on her antenna. Now and then, the hand on her breast gave a gentle squeeze, the thumb continuing its loving caress of the nipple. It was all so heavenly… she almost couldn't stand it.

Without warning, Leera jerked her head up suddenly to look Pleakley in the eye. He looked back, startled, then smiled. He saw her trembling lips and knew instantly how to answer them. They met each other halfway in a tender kiss.

It was light at first; the soft, almost imperceptible touching of lips, before those same lips grew weary of formalities and desperately sought out more, pulling each other in like twin sets of arms in a loving embrace. And more, as if their very hearts and souls could thirst, so too did they seek to drink each other in, to savor the very essence…

Leera pressed closer to her husband, tipping her head back and opening her mouth to drink him in. Twin tongues swept into her mouth like tidal waves, surging against her own as they rose delightedly to dance with them. Pleakley's hand left her breast finally and snaked around to her back, pulling her in even closer, if it were possible.

He felt her foot brush against his and his own foot moved to return the gesture. Then their legs brushed, and the sensation was like striking two flint stones together. And then, there it was: the inevitable spark. The two broke free of their kiss and looked at each other. There was no denying it any longer.

Pleakley rose up until he was towering over his wife. Leera lay still and stared unblinking up at him. She felt his soft hand on her thigh and responded, spreading her legs. Pleakley moved until he was settled in between them, then waited for his cue. Leera lifted her head up a little so that she could see over her enormous belly, then smiled invitingly and nodded.

She leaned back, drawing in a sharp breath as he entered her. She sucked in more air as he slid in, deeper and deeper, until he was all the way in. Then she sighed, a very long sigh, as all that air escaped her. Pleakley hesitated a moment before proceeding. He moved slowly at first, so slowly that it was at once both agonizing and exquisite.

He leaned forward a little, picking up the pace while being careful not to lay any weight on her abdomen. Leera purred sweetly as he fell into a rhythm more to her liking. This encouraged him further, and he began to move even faster. Leera's soft purrs grew louder, and soon the purring turned into panting. Pleakley's throaty grunts also grew louder, and it wasn't long before he was panting too.

Determined to reach a climax, Leera began to thrust in time with her husband, meeting his every downward thrust with an upward bucking of the hips. Something deep down was heating up fast. They both felt it. It was simmering… now, it was boiling… hotter and hotter… higher and higher… almost to the top… almost there… almost…

Pleakley and Leera both reached it at the same time. They climaxed together, gloriously, Pleakley moaning loudly and Leera shrieking. A thick cloud of ecstasy engulfed them both, and through it they could see nothing but each other. When it was over, when the cloud dissolved, when the dreaded heavy feeling of gravity returned, they both collapsed in a sweating, panting heap.

Pleakley lay limp on top of his wife for a few moments, trying to catch his breath before sliding off to lay down next to her. Being heavy with child, their exertions had proven more tiring for Leera, who lay there panting heavily and trembling. Pleakley rolled on his side and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. She snuggled into him, returning the embrace tenfold.

"Mmm, thank you," she whispered, kissing his neck. "That was Heaven."

"No, thank _you_," he replied, nuzzling her antenna, "for taking me there."


	20. Demanding Understanding

CHAPTER TWENTY:  
DEMANDING UNDERSTANDING

Two days had passed since Leera had crossed paths with Gantu, and she had not seen nor heard from him since. At first she thought she could dismiss this because of the rain, but it had cleared rather quickly and the few clouds remaining over Kauai did not seem threatening enough to discourage Gantu from visiting her. By Monday afternoon, she could not stand the wait any longer.

"I don't suppose there's any way we can contact Gantu, is there?" she asked her husband.

"His ship's got a communications console, but I have no idea what the contact code is," Pleakley replied as he sat at his sewing machine repairing one of Leera's dresses.

Leera was sitting up in bed reading a parenting magazine, or at least trying to read. Ever since she'd run into Gantu, she could hardly stop thinking about him.

"Well, I'm getting worried. I mean, he should have at least called by now. I've really been looking forward to talking to him. It's been so long. He's such a nice guy. A sweetheart, really. I know you find that hard to believe, but he is."

"Yeah, well, it'd be nice if he'd show that side of him more often," Pleakley muttered, not looking up from his work.

Leera set her magazine down on the bedside table. "Well, if you want to see that side of him, why don't you go see for yourself? You said he lives nearby, right? We could go see him now."

This time Pleakley looked up. He stared at Leera as though she were crazy.

"You're joking, right? You really wanna take the dune buggy three miles over hideously, horribly, hurl-your-guts-out road just to visit Gantu? You know how miserable you get with your morning sickness."

"Yeah, but it's a risk I'm willing to take."

"Yeah but — but — there's also the even bigger risk of going into labor prematurely! Don't tell me you're willing to take a risk like that just to see him!"

Leera looked absently at her belly, rubbing the spot where she cold feel the baby kicking. "Well, it's almost due anyway. One less week in the womb shouldn't hurt it."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing," Pleakley said. "Don't you realize the health risks involved? I was born prematurely and I was the sickliest little thing you've ever seen! Oh, it was terrible! I know, Mom told me. I was so frail and — "

"Chill out, Drama Queen," Leera scolded. "That's a different story entirely. You were born way sooner than this one's going to be. Even if it comes now it'll be just fine. Jumba said so."

"Uh-huh. An experiment's devouring buildings downtown and turning people into pigs and Jumba says everything's just fine."

Leera got out of bed. "Whatever you say, dear," she sighed, slipping her feet into her sandals. "Well, I don't see how you can just sit there in the corner gathering dust on such a nice day. You can come with me if you'd like. I'm going to go find Gantu, with or without you."

"You really are serious about this, aren't you?" Pleakley received a solemn look in reply. He sighed. "Alright. You win. We'll go find Gantu. But can you at least wait till I'm finished here? I hate to say it, but you've stretched the living heck out of the elastic band in the waist of this dress. I have to replace it, and that's no easy task."

"And how long is that going to take?" Leera asked impatiently.

"I dunno, maybe fifteen, twenty minutes. This is the first time I've had to replace the elastic in anything."

"Oh, well, sor_ry_! That sort of thing tends to happen when two people have to share the same set of clothes."

"Aw, come on, Leera. I don't wear _all_ your clothes. In fact, I think I only wore _this_ dress once, at that luau a few months back."

"That's not what I meant, Wendy. I meant me and the baby."

Pleakley blushed. "Oh. Right."

Leera sighed, kicking off her sandals. "Just hurry up and fix it. But after that, no more delays. No excuses, no nothing. I'm going to find Gantu _today, _with or without your help, even if it's the last thing I do."

"I told you I'd take you, honey," Pleakley reminded her. "But I want to finish this first. It's almost done. Just give me twenty minutes tops, alright?"

Leera sighed again, sounding a bit frustrated. "Alright." She sat down on the corner of the bed, watching her husband work.

Pleakley, uncomfortable under his wife's watchful eye, cleared his throat and tried to change the subject.

"So, uh, when did you want to have the baby shower? We could have it on Wednesday, after Lilo gets home from school. The weather report says it'll be nice and sunny. We can have it down at the lagoon. How's that sound?"

"Mm, I don't know. I don't want to set a date yet until I talk to Gantu. I want to invite him to the shower."

Pleakley groaned inwardly. Ever since Saturday morning, hardly an hour had gone by without some mention of Gantu. It was all Leera would talk about, and it was getting on his nerves.

"Okay," he said, with no emotion.

"You're really okay with that?" Leera asked him.

"Yeah, sure. I mean, why shouldn't I be? Even if I weren't okay with it you'd probably wail on me or make me feel guilty until I said yes. So go ahead and invite the big dummy."

"WHAT did you say!"

"Nothing! I didn't mean — it just slipped out! I'm sorry, okay? It's just — I already told you how it's been with Gantu around, always wrecking the house and stealing the experiments. Big Dummy was just a nickname that stuck. I'm sorry. Really. I know how you feel about him."

Leera calmed down. "He really is a good person, Wendy. You'll see. He's done so much for me, and you have to give him credit for that."

"I do, but — " Pleakley paused, biting his lip. Did he dare continue and state what he really thought?

"But what?" Leera asked.

"Well, it just seems to me that he was just doing his duty. Sure he helped you, but that's what anyone in his position would have done."

"But you don't know Gantu like I do. He went above and beyond the call of duty when he became my friend. There was a bond between us that I've never shared with any other person."

"Not even me?" Pleakley asked.

Leera looked at him for a long moment, then dropped her eye to the floor. "No. not even you. But it's not like we have any less of a bond!" she added hastily. "It's just… different. Like the bond you share with your mother. Or Uncle Gidgel. Or Nani. Or Lilo. Or… anyone. They're not the same as the bond we share with each other, and they're not any more or any less important. They're just as unique as the person you share them with. Understand?"

"I guess so," Pleakley sighed. "I've been trying to understand a lot these past few days, and I gotta tell you, it hasn't been easy."

"I really appreciate it, Wendy. Now hurry up and finish so we can go."

"Okay." He turned back to the sewing machine. After a few minutes, he stopped to untangle some threads. Without the noise from the machine, he was aware of a small sound behind him. He turned to find Leera half reclining on the bed, holding her belly and sobbing.

"Honey? What's wrong? What is it?" He rushed over to her. "Are you hurting?"

"No. I'm fine. I just… I want to talk to Gantu. It's important."

"But — can't you tell _me_? I'm right here. Tell me."

"Oh Wendy, I — you wouldn't understand."

"And Gantu would?" Pleakley asked incredulously.

"He was there for me when I needed him, and I — "

"Only because it was his duty."

"Maybe the rescue part was, but do you think it was duty that made him come to see me in the hospital every day and bring me flowers and sit and talk to me? He did those things because he's a good, caring person!"

"Unless he had some ulterior motive," Pleakley mumbled.

"What? You actually think he wanted…" Leera trailed off, then her face darkened with fury. "How dare you! How dare you even think that about him! Gantu is one of the best friends I ever had and I love him!"

Pleakley gasped, staring at his wife in shock. Leera sighed in annoyance.

"Not _that_ way, Wendy. I love a lot of people: you, your mother, Uncle Gidgel, Lilo… but that doesn't mean I — "

"Too late," Pleakley interrupted her. "The truth is out now. You love Gantu and that's okay by me. But dammit, Leera, what am I? Chopped liver? You keep talking about him like he's your savior! He just _happened_ to be in the right place at the right time, that's all! So why is it so darn important to go talk to _him_?"

"Because at least he can understand what I went through! He was there for me right after it happened and he's — "

"Only because I didn't get there first!" Pleakley yelled, startling both himself and Leera. "Don't you think I would have been there for you if you had just _said _something? All you had to do was pick up the phone and call me, and I would have been there in a heartbeat! But no. I didn't even find out until nearly three years later that you were… you were…" he trailed off, a sickened look on his face. He swallowed a hard lump in his throat and continued. "Dammit Leera, why? _Why_ didn't you tell me? Didn't you trust me? I love you! I've always loved you! Don't you trust me at all?"

At this, Leera broke eye contact and dropped her gaze to the floor. "Of course I do," she said in a tiny voice, "but back then I… I wasn't so sure."

Hearing this, Pleakley's jaw dropped. He could only stare speechless at his wife. After a moment, Leera looked back up at him and her lip trembled.

"I told you you wouldn't understand. You have no idea what it was like! After what happened… I didn't think I could ever trust any man ever again. But Gantu… I don't know. I had to trust him. I had no choice. If I wanted to live, if I wanted to go on… and I didn't think I could… I had to trust someone. Even for just a moment. And he was the only one there at the time."

For a long moment Pleakley said nothing. He couldn't.

"I'm sorry," Leera whispered, climbing out of bed and moving toward the door.

"You can't go to him again," Pleakley said, making her stop in her tracks.

"And why not?" she demanded.

Pleakley stood up, looking her square in the eye. "Because I f— I for— ," he took a deep breath and blurted out, "I forbid it!" The instant the words were out of his mouth, he regretted them. If looks could kill, then Leera had gone into overkill. Pleakley shuddered under her ice-cold glare.

"_Nobody_ forbids me. Not even _you_." And with that she turned and stalked out the door. Pleakley sat there, momentarily stunned, then got up to follow her.

"No! Wait! Leera, please!" He caught up with her at the top of the staircase. "Please listen to me!" He cried, grabbing her wrist.

"No!" Leera shouted, trying to pull away. "If you really understood, you'd let me go!"

"But I just— "

"NO!" Leera screamed, yanking her arm out of his grasp. The sudden motion made her stagger backwards, and one of her feet met open air. She swung her arms out to steady herself, then another foot missed the step. It seemed to happen in slow motion: Pleakley watched, horrified, as Leera fell down the stairs. It was a short flight; only three steps, but as he watched, they seemed to go on forever. Leera kept falling and falling and falling and Pleakley kept screaming and screaming and screaming.

She hit the bottom with a sickening thud, sprawled on her side.


	21. Taking the Fall

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE:  
TAKING THE FALL

Leera didn't move.

Pleakley raced down the steps, throwing himself on her and sobbing uncontrollably. He was only vaguely aware of the stampeding sound of many feet, followed by gasps and voices demanding to know what had happened. Strong hands seized him by the shoulders and pulled him off Leera's unconscious form. Through a blur of tears he saw the outline of his mother. He saw her lips move, and heard her voice calling to him from far away, but panic had claimed him and he couldn't calm himself long enough to tell her what had happened.

Vay held him firmly while Gidgel, Nani and Kirk crowded around Leera. Gidgel leaned down to listen to her hearts, then brushed the hair out of her face. As he did, he noticed a small trickle of blood at the corner of her mouth. Beside him, Kirk gasped.

"What is it?" Gidgel asked.

Kirk didn't answer. Gidgel looked at him and saw his face go pale. He followed his gaze to see what Kirk was looking at. That's when he saw the blood on Leera's leg.

"She needs medical attention!" Gidgel announced. "Where's Jumba?"

"I think he's out back in the ship," Nani replied. "I'll go get him!" And without a second's hesitation, she ran out the back door.

"What is it?" Vay asked, letting go of Pleakley to move in for a closer look. Gidgel pointed out the blood. Pleakley took one look and shuddered.

"Oh God! The baby…" he reached a hand out toward her belly, then pulled back sharply as if he'd been burned. He started sobbing again, and his sobs quickly turned into hyperventilating as he collapsed in a heap beside his wife. "No — no — oh God, Leera, I'm so sorry! — No! — Please! — Please be alright! — Please!"

Vay knelt beside him and gathered him into her arms. Gidgel looked Leera over, unsure of what to do. He placed both hands on her belly and felt every inch of it for a sign of life from within.

"Feel anything?" Vay asked. "Is it moving at all?"

Gidgel's answer was slow to come. "No. Nothing. Dammit, where's Jumba? Kirk, make yourself useful and go find him! Tell him it's an emergency!"

"Right!" Kirk jumped up and ran out the back door. Seconds later he was back with Nani and Jumba right behind him.

When Pleakley saw Jumba, he sprang to his feet and grabbed the large alien's hand, pulling him to Leera's side.

"Am coming! Am coming! Here, what is problem being?" Jumba demanded. He looked down at Leera. "Why is wife asleep on floor?"

"She's not asleep!" Pleakley shouted, still sobbing uncontrollably. "She's — she's — fell down — unconscious — hurt bad — baby — bleeding — HELP HER!"

"Why are you not saying so?" Jumba exclaimed. He gathered Leera up in his arms as carefully as though she were a newborn and carried her into his bedroom. Pleakley, Vay, Gidgel, Kirk and Nani followed at his heels. He laid her down on the bed, then turned to the others.

"This is being very serious. Could be bad. I am thinking everyone should be staying outside until further notice."

"No," Pleakley said firmly. "She's _my_ wife, and that's _my_ baby, and I'm _not_ leaving, And — " he choked down another sob, "and this is all _my_ fault."

Vay put a hand on his shoulder and he looked back at her. "It was an accident," she whispered. "I know you'd never hurt her."

"But I did!" Pleakley cried. "I _did_ hurt her! I didn't want her to see Gantu again and I told her…" he started sobbing again. Vay wrapped her arms around him and held him close.

"Is time for to be examining wife now," Jumba announced, pulling on a pair of gloves. "I think she would be appreciating some privacy if she were being awake."

Taking their cues, Gidgel, Kirk and Nani left the room. Vay kissed her son on the cheek and took him by the hand.

"C'mon, honey. Maybe it's best if you wait outside."

Pleakley allowed his mother to lead him out of the room. Kirk and Gidgel were waiting out in the hallway. Nani had just gone to pick Lilo up from school.

"It's going to be okay," Vay assured him, closing the door behind them.

"No it isn't," Pleakley whimpered. "Didn't you see the blood? The baby must have been… oh God, what if it's…" he swallowed hard, afraid to go on. He closed his eye tight, squeezing out yet another large tear, and shook his head. Vay took his hand again and led him out to the living room and sat him down on the sofa.

Pleakley took some deep, steadying breaths, then wiped his face on the hem of his dress.

"We shouldn't even be having this baby," he mumbled. "When Leera told me she was pregnant… I just knew it was too good to be true. I was never meant to be a father, and this just proves it. This is all my fault. If we lose this one…"

Vay's hand touched his lips to quiet him, then tilted his chin up so she could look him in the eye. "No. Don't say that. It's going to be okay. Leera and the baby will both be alright, and you're going to be a wonderful father, Wendy. You already are."

Pleakley hugged his mother. "Thanks, Mom. I'm gonna go make some tea now," he said. "Who wants some?"

"I'll take a cup," Gidgel said, then elbowed Kirk, who was sitting next to him.

"Oh yeah. Me too! P-please."

"It's unanimous," said Vay, forcing a smile for her son. Pleakley got up and went into the kitchen to start the tea.

Vay sighed. "At least that'll give him something to do. Poor boy's never been very good at dealing with stress."

Gidgel nodded. Beside him, Kirk looked uncomfortable. After a moment he decided to speak up.

"Umm, I don't like to stick my antenna in where it doesn't belong, but I - uh - I thought Wendy _wanted_ to have this baby."

"He does!" Gidgel replied incredulously. "Wherever did you get the idea that he doesn't?"

Kirk winced. "Well, what with all the talk about not meaning to be a father and - well - he did say they shouldn't even be having a baby. Or did I not hear him correctly?"

"Well, yes and no," Vay answered. "He's very happy about having a baby, but it certainly wasn't expected."

"Oh, so it was an accident, then?"

"Not exactly. I don't think they were doing anything to prevent it, but only because they never expected it to happen."

Kirk stared at her blankly. "I don't get it. Was Leera supposed to be barren or something?"

"Not exactly that, either," Vay replied. "See, Wendy's the one who wasn't supposed to be able to have children. He's been sterile ever since he caught that virus and nearly died. At least, that's what the doctors thought. We were told that there was only a very slim chance that he could ever father a child. That's why this baby means so much to him. It's probably the only one he'll ever have."

"Oh." Kirk glanced toward the kitchen, then back at Vay. "Wow. I didn't know that."

Gidgel smirked at him. "Kinda makes you wish you'd never taken your fertility for granted, huh?"

Kirk blushed and muttered something under his breath. A moment later Pleakley came in with a tea tray and passed out cups and saucers to everyone. He was about to sit down and enjoy some tea himself when Jumba appeared beside the couch.

"I think you will want to be seeing wife now," he announced, pulling off his gloves.

"How is she?" Pleakley squeaked.

"Is bruised and sore, but is in stable condition. Is awake now too, and is wanting to see you."

Pleakley felt a surge of relief wash over him just then, followed by a small twinge of fear. He followed Jumba into the bedroom.

"Are you sure she's alright? And the baby?"

"Eh, I am not one to be counting chickens before they are hatched."

"But the blood! On her leg! Isn't that from — "

"Was only a scratch. For the moment baby is looking fine and is staying where it's at."

Pleakley sighed in relief and walked into the bedroom. Leera was lying on her back on Jumba's bed, a small, thin blanket pulled up to her chest. She was pale, and the area under her eye appeared discolored and slightly swollen. Pleakley rushed to her side and grabbed her hand, kissing it passionately.

"Oh Leera, I'm so sorry! Are you okay? Please say yes!"

"I'm alive," Leera mumbled, pulling her drenched hand away and wiping it on the blanket. "And the baby is, too. It's been giving me hell ever since I woke up. I can't wait till it's out so it can kick you, too."

"Speaking of which," Jumba cut in, "is possible baby might be arriving sooner than expected. After fall like that…you are being very lucky to be Plorginarian, my dear. Physiological structure during gestation has proved very protective for unborn child. Few other sentient species are fortunate to be having such thick layers of fat and amniotic fluid and other tissue to be protecting fetus."

"LEERA!"

At that moment, who should burst through the door but a crazed Lilo and Stitch. The two rushed to the bed and jumped onto it, oblivious to Pleakley's warnings to be careful of the baby.

Lilo threw her arms around Leera. "Are you okay? Nani said you got hurt! Is the baby okay? How did you hurt yourself?"

"Calm down, Lilo," Leera chuckled. "I'm fine. The baby's fine too. I just fell down the stairs."

Lilo looked at her incredulously. "That's it? I thought you got hurt really bad! I fell down the stairs one time, and I just got up and walked away like nothing happened."

"That is not how Jumba is remembering it," Jumba cut in. "If I am recalling correctly, little girl scraped her knee and commenced to crying like banshee until 626 took care of scrape and brought her whole carton of strawberry ice cream."

Lilo folded her arms across her chest and turned her nose up. "Nani always said there were two sides to every story."

Stitch placed his paws on Leera's belly, then put an ear against it to listen. "Ih, gaba chi nooka baby?"

"Yes, baby's okay," Leera assured him, giving him a good scratch behind the ears.


	22. If You Want It Bad Enough

_A/N: There is no excuse out there good enough to give you for the 7 month hiatus, so I won't even bother trying to think of one. Yes, I am still alive, still sane (fairly) and still writing (some things more than others). Jesus tap-dancing Christ, I can't believe it's been over half a year since I posted the last chapter. I am SO SO SO SO SO sorry for making you all wait this long! The good news is, I'm in the middle of the next chapter right now, so you can definitely expect it really soon, like within a week. Also, I have a feeling that Leera's going to have her baby very soon, possibly within the next 2-3 chapters. That's not a promise, though. This story writes itself sometimes, so it may try to lead us all somewhere else first. I CAN promise you all that I am working really hard to bring you the next couple of chapters, because I can't wait for the baby to arrive either! Anyway, pleasepleaseplease review! You have no idea how much reviews mean to me and how much they help me continue with the story! P.S. please forgive my hideous attempt at writing in Hamsterveil. I tried to make him sound authentic, and almost killed myself in the process. I salute the Lilo & Stitch writers for their incredible efforts that I could never match. XP_

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO:  
IF YOU WANT IT BAD ENOUGH

Gantu walked slowly back to his ship, thinking about his reunion with Leera that morning. He had often wondered what had become of her after they had gone their separate ways some years before. One could never forget such a vibrant young woman as Leera, though there were some memories of her he would rather have forgotten. The image of her lying bruised and bloodied on that oasis on Naa continued to haunt him.

He remembered visiting her in the hospital two days after; how much better she looked, how much better she seemed to be doing, yet, somehow… so much worse. Lying there looking so frail, eye staring blankly into space, words barely more than a whisper when she spoke to him. And so beautiful, he'd noticed. So beautiful and so broken. He'd wondered with a brief flash of rage how anyone could spoil such beauty.

Despite the painful memories, the prospect of seeing Leera again was a happy one; Gantu had to resist the urge to skip all the way back to his ship. The two experiments he'd been after that morning were long gone and forgotten. Not that he even cared. After seeing Leera that morning, he felt as though he'd just captured all the experiments in one giant net. Upon entering the ship, a quick glimpse of 625 working on a sandwich made him wonder why he'd even bothered with a single one of Jumba's little abominations.

Through a mouthful of PB and J, 625 reminded him: "'Bout time ya got in, Fish Face. Hamsterwheel's been chewing my ear off for the past half hour!"

"That's Hamster_veil,_ you sniveling yellow fuzz ball!"

At the sound of his boss's voice over the intercom , Gantu's heart dropped into his stomach. "Blitznak," he murmured before composing himself and taking a seat before the communications consol. Burning red eyes and a wiggling nose glared down on him from a screen half his height.

"I should be looking at an experiment right now and not the pathetic face of failure that belongs to the biggest failure that failure has ever known that is sitting before me looking like he has failed again!" Hamsterveil shouted at Gantu who, instead of flinching at his needle-sharp words, was absorbing it like an indifferent sponge. At his lack of shame, Hamsterveil fumed.

"Why are you not hanging your head in shame, you shameful shark-like thing, you? I would fire you right now if I weren't needing those mighty muscles of yours for much more evil-doing than I alone can handle!"

It wasn't going to be easy for Hamsterveil to bring Gantu down from his Cloud Nine, but something in the rodent's words made him wary. He leaned forward in his seat, meeting those beady red eyes with an icy blue glare.

"I don't care if you fire me or not," Gantu growled. "In fact, I've got a good mind to quit! You need me a lot more than I need you! Get your own muscle and do your own dirty work from now on."

"Why you despicable--" Hamsterveil started, but Gantu wasn't listening anymore. He stood up, feigning a good stretch and yawn, before heading toward the kitchen area where 625 was now constructing a second sandwich.

"The day Gantu stands up to Hamsterweel," the experiment mused, looking first at Gantu then at his sandwich. "This day is going down in history, right along with this octuple-decker-Dagwood-deluxe!"

Hamsterveil was still chittering angrily away as Gantu made himself a small tuna sandwich and took it back to his seat to eat right in front of his irate boss.

"--- so far up there that you will never again be seeing the light of day! How does that sound, you halibut-headed cretin?"

Without looking up, Gantu said, "Do you mind? Your constant squawking is giving me indigestion."

"I'll be giving you far more than that when I get to Earth, so commence to quivering in fear, you incompetent blubber brain!"

Gantu choked on a bite of his sandwich. "W-what? You're coming to Earth? When --"

"If you had been listening with that fat-filled hull of a head of yours, you would have heard me saying how deviously my devious plans for hostile takeover of the galaxy have been recently extended to include that backwater chunk of worthless rock underneath your gargantuan hiney!"

Gantu stared up at the screen. "Oh. Is that all?" he asked, smiling. "For a moment there I thought you were actually making a threat!"

"That WAS a threat, you stupidly ignorant ignoramus!" Hamsterveil shouted, hopping up and down in his fury. He then calmed down very quickly and spoke to Gantu in a quiet, even tone. "I am coming to Earth, and I am bringing with me my new partner who is so evil he makes evil look like a little sissy girl with blonde pigtails and little pink ribbons skipping down the street to visit her poor, sick granny while stopping to sniff all the pretty flowers along the way!"

Gantu groaned and rolled his eyes. In the time it took for Hamsterveil to say something simple like "What's up?" 625 could have cooked and eaten five grilled cheese sandwiches. Speaking of which, Gantu realized he was still hungry. That tuna sandwich was the only thing he'd eaten today. _Wonder if I could bully the little trog into making me a Reuben…_

"… and now, without further adieu… adieu meaning any further interruptions from your gaping gully of a mouth… I introduce with great pleasure my newest and most evilest partner in evil!"

Gantu watched as Hamsterveil's image flickered out and was replaced by a gleaming black eye, like a knife slit in a scarred, crimson face. The image zoomed out to reveal more and more of Hamsterveil's new partner. As the full face came into view, Gantu saw that there was only the one eye; the other one having been gouged out so that the sealed eyelids sunk into an empty socket. On top of a bald head sat the remains of two sets of antlers, now broken and mangled. Gantu's heart lurched and a loud gasp escaped his throat. In response, the flat, russet and ravaged face cracked into the most horrendous imitation of a smile, revealing a set of jagged, razor-like teeth.

"Long time no see, Captain Gantu." Words were coming out of the fearsome mouth, but Gantu could barely hear them over the agonized screaming of reason in his own head.

"No… you're dead…"

The mouth cracked wider in a laugh and the gleam of teeth that could tear through flesh and bone blinded Gantu like a deer caught in headlights.

"You can't kill the devil, now, can you?" The voice did not belong to that face, could not possibly have come from that mouth. It was too warn, too genial. It was the voice of an angel. And it chilled Gantu down to his very soul.

"But, but how? The explosion… it's not possible!"

"Oh but it is, my dear fellow. Anything is possible… _if you want it bad enough."_

"But…"

"Enough with the butting in of your buts, Gantu!" Hamsterveil's voice squealed from the intercom, just before he reappeared on the screen. "We have no time for your puny words with no meaning. We are making preparations to invade Earth, and we will commence to invade in a matter of weeks. So stay put and enjoy your picturesque island paradise while it still exists." Hamsterveil pulled his cape up to conceal half his face in the melodramatic style of a theater villain. "We will keep in touch." And with that, the screen went black.

Gantu continued to stare at the dark screen. _It just can't be! It's impossible! No. No…_

"So Hamsterwheel's got himself a new buddy and _you _don't need to hunt experiments anymore because the earth and everything on it is going to be obliterated." Still stunned, Gantu turned slowly to see 625 coming out of the kitchen with two large sandwiches. He offered one to Gantu, who shook his head slowly.

"Wow, and I get two Reubens! Everyone wins!" He opened his mouth wide to take a bite, but the look on Gantu's face squelched his appetite. "Hey there, Gan Man, why the long face? That tuna sandwich disagreeing with ya? You know you used WAY too much relish in it, and ya know what relish does to ya."

Gantu slowly snapped out of his daze and looked down at 625 gorging himself. He suddenly became enraged.

"This entire planet is about to be destroyed by the most wanted criminal in the history of the universe and all you can think about is food? BLITZNAK!" He slammed his fist down on the consol with such force that that 625 jumped back with a sudden flash of fear in his eyes.

"It's called coping, Blubber Butt. You rant and cuss and punch things, I eat. It's a helluva lot better than dwelling on the inevitable." 625 said this so matter-of-factly that one would have mistook it for bravery, but as Gantu was glaring right at him, he could not miss the fear and worry so apparent in his eyes.

Gantu sighed. "I don't want to dwell on it either, but it's not inevitable. There just has to be a way to stop them…" he trailed off, eyes drifting around the room as though the answer lay somewhere nearby.

"Who the heck was that creep, anyway?" asked 625. "He's so ugly he makes my vomit look appetizing."

Gantu made a disgusted face. "He didn't look familiar to you? The whole galaxy knows that face. He's been on the news and so many wanted posters…"

"Well I didn't exactly have full cable hookups or a newspaper subscription when I was dehydrated in a tiny pod for several years. So bring me up to date already!"

Gantu sighed again, turning away. "That man was responsible for a terrorist movement against the Federation and one of the worst wars this galaxy has ever seen. He's a monster. A demon. He's…" Gantu shuddered, squeezing his eyes shut and shaking his head. When he opened them again, there was a gleam in them of the utmost rage, and when he spoke, it was in a low, deep growl that stank of hatred. "Horsthar Le'Kruune."


	23. Shear Sentiments

_A/N: Sorry for the lateness, but hey, at least I'm posting again! BTW, today is my birthday! And I want reviews! Reviews for the birthday girl! _

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE:  
SHEAR SENTIMENTS

"I'm warning you right now, you little monster! If you drop her, I will personally give you a very bad haircut with these!" shouted Pleakley, holding a large pair of pruning shears over the hedge he was trimming.

"Okitaka!" Stitch replied, scampering down the front steps on all fours while carrying Leera on his back, held securely by his extra arms.

"What kind of a threat is that?" Kirk asked, standing nearby. "I would have expected something more along the lines of neutering, but a bad haircut? Please!" He laughed until a quick look from Gidgel shut him up.

Stitch reached the bottom of the steps and proceeded to carry Leera across the yard to a lawn chair set up in the shade of a short palm tree. Under Pleakley's watchful eye, Stitch set her down on the chair with the utmost care. Leera reclined elegantly in the chair as Stitch fluffed two small pillows, one for her head and one for her feet. Once the pillows were in place, Stitch crouched beside the chair and gazed at Leera with bright puppy-dog eyes. Leera smiled at him.

"Thank you, Stitch," she said, patting his head and leaning over to give him a kiss on the nose. Stitch purred in response.

"Ahem!" A shadow fell over the experiment. Stitch glanced over his shoulder to find Pleakley towering over him. "Aren't we forgetting something?" Pleakley asked sweetly.

"Naga," Stitch replied.

"Really? Well, does pineapple juice ring a bell?"

Stitch blinked up at Pleakley. "Ih?"

Pleakley heaved a heavy sigh of frustration. "Didn't Leera say she'd like a nice, tall glass of ice-cold pineapple juice? Because I could have sworn she did…" Pleakley took pause to watch his words sink in. A smile crept to his lips as Stitch stared at him in alarm. He sprang to his feet, glanced back at Leera and muttered "Soka!" before racing back up the steps and into the house.

Leera struggled to sit up. "I never said anything about pineapple juice!" She glared at her husband. "Why did you say that?"

"Because I know you'd want some right about now, and because the little monster loves you. He'd do anything for you. See?" Pleakley pointed up at the house where Stitch was already coming back down the steps carrying two pineapples, an ice-filled glass, and a chainsaw in all four arms.

Leera bit her lip. She wasn't sure whether to laugh or snort in disgust. "You mean he'd do anything for _you_ as long as he thinks it's for _me._" She watched Stitch slaughter the pineapples and accepted the resulting juice, scratching him behind the ear until he purred. As soon as Stitch cleaned up the mess and left, Leera shoved the drink into Pleakley's hand.

"Here you are, your majesty."

Pleakley shoved it back at her. "But this is for you!" Leera stared at the drink, smirked, then looked away. "C'mon, babe. Take it. It's your favorite. I went to a lot of trouble to get it for you! Yelling at Stitch, encouraging him with the pruning shears, supervising his work…"

Leera snickered and looked back at him. He looked hurt, so she took the glass and sipped it. "Not bad, considering you made Stitch make it yourself."

Pleakley smiled wryly and held out a hand. "How 'bout letting me have a taste then?"

Leera grinned wickedly and held the glass away from him. "Very well," she said. "Since you worked SO hard to make Stitch make it, then it's only fair that you get to watch while Stitch tastes it. _Stitch!"_

Pleakley's hand dropped and his face paled as Stitch came scrambling back to Leera's side, downed half the glass, licked his lips, belched, gave a thumbs-up, curled into a ball and rolled away humming. Pleakley stared wide-eyed at the half-empty glass, which Leera was now finishing.

"B-but I-I-I— "

Leera took one look at him and sighed. "Here," she said, handing him a pineapple slice from the glass rim. Pleakley stared at it. "Take it, you big baby, before I give it to Stitch!" This time Pleakley took it. He chewed it slowly as he walked back to the hedge.

"HEY! Lighten up, buddy!" Kirk shouted, slapping an arm around his son's shoulder and startling him. 'Startling' was an understatement. Pleakley gasped and inhaled the pineapple slice, choking on it. Kirk slapped him again, this time on the back, until the choking subsided. "Sorry, bud. Didn't mean to — " but Pleakley shoved a hand out and managed to push Kirk rather roughly away.

"You never mean to do anything, do you?" Pleakley growled, walking away from him. Kirk followed.

"Look, son -"

"Wendy."

"Wendy. Okay. Look. Let's not go through all that again. All right? Clean slate, remember? Maybe even friends?"

Pleakley picked up the pruning shears and walked around the hedge until it formed a wall between himself and Kirk. "Go help Mom with the refreshments and we'll talk." He snipped a withered branch. "On second thought, go help Uncle Gidgel. Mom's had enough of your help."

"I suppose she has," Kirk said in a tone that made Pleakley look around the hedge at him. Kirk was looking up at the house. Vay and Lilo stood on the front porch, balancing a large cake on a tray between them. Lilo started down the steps first, walking sideways very slowly while holding fast to her end of the tray. Vay followed close behind, walking with more ease thanks to her third leg, and hunching over her end of the tray. Pleakley watched a moment before his eye snagged on the low neckline of her blouse. His eye jumped to Kirk and he growled, snipping feverishly at a low branch. He attacked the hedge with quick little jabs, until he heard a loud yelp from the other side. Looking around the bush he saw Kirk rubbing his patooki and stifled a laugh.

"Oops! Sorry 'bout that, Mr. Skirmish!"

"That's quite all right," Kirk replied in a clearly pained voice, craning his neck around to look at his wound: a tiny dot of red from the tip of the shears. "It was an accident, after all. Not like you did it on purpose."

Pleakley bit both his tongues to suppress a guffaw. Vay and Lilo descended the stairs and moved slowly toward the picnic table in the middle of the lawn. Kirk's eye was on Vay again.

"Yes, well… I think maybe she _could_ use a little help over there," he said, and his feet were already walking him toward the table before he could finish his sentence. Pleakley hoisted up his shears and started to follow him.

"Wendy."

Pleakley stopped and turned to find Uncle Gidgel standing nearby. The older man had a slight smirk on his face. He shook his head and Pleakley stared at him, eye full of question and a drop of anger.

Gidgel stepped forward. "Let him go," he said, taking the shears from his nephew. "He's a fool, but your mother isn't. She can take care of herself. Hell, she can take care of all of us."

Pleakley looked at him in disbelief. "Then why does she let him…?" he started, throwing his hands up in a helpless gesture to finish the sentence. Gidgel shook his head again.

"She's not a fool," he repeated with more conviction, though somehow he sounded less certain than he had a moment ago. "I guess it's hard to understand when you've already made up your mind to hate his guts. But I think… hell, I don't know what I think, to tell you the truth. I don't trust Kirk any more than Vay tells me to, but that's not up to me. She trusts him, and maybe that's enough…" he trailed off, watching as Kirk stood very close to his sister while she set the table.

It looked like he was whispering something, and was answered with an elbow in the side and a sharp laugh from Vay. She moved away from him, to the other side of the table. She was talking and rearranging some things on the table. Kirk appeared to be watching her work, though Pleakley had the sneaking suspicion that he was looking down her shirt again. This was confirmed when she reached across the table and yanked on his antenna, forcing him to look her in the eye.

She let go and he backed away, rubbing his antenna and looking sore. He walked around the table to stand next to her again, but she moved away to help Stitch with the armload of brightly wrapped gifts he'd just brought down from the house. Kirk fumblingly helped her set them up neatly on one end of the table, dropping more than a few, more than once.

Pleakley sighed irritably. "Oh for Pete's sake! He's going to end up breaking something! I'm going over there!"

Gidgel grabbed him by the wrist to stop him. "Hold up there, buddy! You don't really want to come between them, do you?"

Pleakley watched Kirk drop another gift and stoop to pick it up. Vay stooped down at the same time and her hand reached the gift first. Kirk's hand, a second late, hesitated then closed over hers. They locked eyes with each other.

"Yes I do!" Pleakley grumbled, starting forward again.

The two stood up together, holding the gift between them. Kirk blushed and mumbled something, pulling gently until Vay relinquished the gift. He turned to place it on the table, and when he turned back, Vay's face was right in front of his, another gift in her hands. Both seemed surprised, then only Kirk seemed surprised as Vay kissed him on the lips.

"No I don't," Pleakley mumbled, looking suddenly pale as he stepped back to stand beside his uncle again. He turned away quickly and went for the hedge with the shears again. His breathing became labored as he attacked the bush. He snipped slowly and methodically, speaking in a throaty voice between snips.

"What" -snip- "does" -snip- "she" -snip- "see" -snip- "in" -snip- "him?"

Behind him, Gidgel chuckled softly. "I didn't know before, but I think I see it now."

Pleakley stopped snipping and looked up. "What?"

Gidgel's smile was too wide. "I just now realized," he said gaily, then the smile fell from his face and his tone leveled. "I think what she sees in him is… you."

Pleakley stared at his uncle in disbelief. "_What?!"_ He stood up and peered around the hedge, hoping this one quick peek could deny his uncle's claim. Kirk was sitting at the table, sucking the helium out of a balloon and reciting a Plorginaarian nursery rhyme in a high-pitched voice while Leera stood by with both hands on her belly as if to keep the baby, and the laughter, from exploding out. He finished off the balloon and knelt at Leera's feet, taking her hand as he sang "You Are So Beautiful." Leera's other hand went up to her mouth to stifle her laughter. Vay stood nearby, laughing too.

Pleakley watched wide-eyed. "I haven't heard her laugh like that in ages," he mumbled, staring in amazement.

"Who?" Gidgel asked.

"Both of them. They're both so… happy." He turned to his uncle. "Do I ever make them that happy?"

"What a stupid question," Gidgel growled, but there was a smile under the growl. "Of course you do! But lately… you know, they love you very much, Wendy. More than anything. And they need your support more than anything. But lately, you haven't been giving it. I think your mother could really be happy with Kirk, fool that he is, but you're holding her back from that happiness. And Leera. Well, I don't need to tell you what she's been through, and what she's going to go through when the baby comes. They're both strong women - strongest people I know - but that doesn't mean they don't need the support of a little girlie boy like you. No offense."

"None taken," Pleakley grumbled, returning to the hedge. He picked up the shears. "I don't know what to do, though."

"Well, for starters you can ease up on that plant! You've pruned it down so far that it's practically a stump. Next, you oughtta do something nice for 'em. Your mother and Leera, I mean. Let them know you love them, instead of filing another complaint against Kirk or Gantu. I'm sure they'd appreciate it."

Suddenly Pleakley was smiling. "Hey, that's not a bad idea," he murmured, mostly to himself. He set the shears aside and strode across the yard to the table. Kirk was making another poor attempt to tidy up the table while Vay stood at the other end near Leera, talking to her daughter-in-law while rearranging the décor. Pleakley approached them. He gave a quick nod and a smile to Kirk, then a hug and a "love ya" to his mom. When he got to Leera, something throbbed inside him and he threw his arms around her, squeezing her tightly. She gasped.

"Wendy! B-baby!"

At this Pleakley immediately loosened his hold. He opened his mouth, tried to speak, and couldn't. Leera's own lips parted to speak and before she could utter a syllable, Pleakley kissed her passionately. He didn't even care that his parents and uncle were standing right there. He didn't even think about it. He just kissed Leera deeply until she protested for lack of air. When he finally stopped, she was staring at him, bewildered… and happy. She smiled and he smiled seeing it. Without a word he led her to her lawn chair and made her sit down. He fluffed her pillows and made sure she was as comfortable as possible. Then he took her hand.

"I'll be right back," he said quietly, and without giving her an explanation, he left her under the palm tree, went to the garage, started up the dune buggy, and drove away.

As the warm ocean breeze ruffled his antenna, Pleakley sighed happily. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so good. He couldn't even think of a reason not to feel so good. After all, he was happily married to his best friend and the love of his life, he had a loving family, and he was going to be a father! _But_, he reminded himself, _it's not about you. It's about Leera. This is her day. Her shower. And it's got to be perfect. As long as she's happy, then I'm happy too._ With her kiss still on his lips and her sparkling eye before his own, Pleakley turned off the main road and drove inland through the jungle toward Gantu's ship.


End file.
